Phony Digits
by StoatsandWeasels
Summary: AU: Instead of turning guys down, approval junkie Kagome Higurashi has been handing out a fake phone number. What happens when her best friend decides to investigate, and discovers that the phony digits actually belong to a henpecked hanyou?
1. Tough Luck

Disclaimer: InuYasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I have nothing.

* * *

 **Phony Digits**

* * *

 _ **Chapter One: Tough Luck**_

* * *

"So, anyway, he goes on to tell me that he is currently unemployed, and here's the real kicker, _still living with his ex-girlfriend_."

"No!" Sango said, shaking her head in disbelief, her long brunette ponytail swishing across the back of her black quilted vest. "And what did you say?"

 _"Kagome!"_ Both women turned their heads upon hearing the barista call out from the front of the cafe. They began making their way to the counter to pick up their order.

"Well, I was polite," Kagome continued, "but after the date I turned down his offer to drive me home and took a cab. Hopefully he got the message," she said, before pulling on her brown leather gloves one by one and picking up her coffee from the counter.

"I would have been like, 'Beat it, dude! I'm not into charity cases'," Sango said.

" _Excuse me_. _Pardon me_ ," Kagome mumbled to the other patrons as she navigated her way through the coffee shop, towards the door. The crowd almost seemed to part for the unapologetic Sango as she strode alongside her friend with an air of calm self-confidence. "I know _you_ would have, Sango. I just wish I had your courage… _excuse me_. _I'm sorry,_ " she said as she sidestepped another bystander.

"What?" Sango asked. "The courage to be a ball-buster? Oh, you have it in you grasshopper," she said solemnly, placing her hand on Kagome's shoulder. "You just have to find it within yourself."

Kagome giggled. "Thank you, Sensei. I'll be sure to work on summoning the ball-buster within me."

Sango chuckled as she pushed open the door and they stepped out into the bitter cold streets of the city. "I swear, you have the worst luck with men," she said, shaking her head as they started toward her apartment building at a steady pace, their breath coming out like white puffs of smoke in the frigid winter air.

"Yeah, you don't have to tell me that," Kagome said dryly. "Remember 'Snakes'?"

Sango furrowed her brow.

"Oh, that's what I call the guy that had a lot of snakes," Kagome explained.

"Ah," Sango said. "Yes, I remember him. And you can't forget 'Toothpick'."

" _Ugh_ …" Kagome groaned. "'Toothpick' may have been the worst of them! As if the teeth picking wasn't bad enough, he also had the cockiest attitude of any guy I've ever been out with. That's the last time I ever go out with a youkai, I can tell you that much."

"Maybe you just need to date a real 'uggo'," Sango said. "Nothing a good old-fashioned paper bag wouldn't fix."

Kagome giggled. "Yes, but how do you go about getting them to wear the bag?"

"You just say, 'Hey buddy, look, could you wear this over your head? You're nice and all, but this just isn't gonna work out if I have too keep looking at your face.'" Sango said nonchalantly, holding her free hand out as if offering the imaginary bag. "And then if you ever get tired of him, you can just switch out the paper bag for a plastic one. Easy fix."

Both girls erupted into a fix of giggles.

Kagome sighed. "Maybe you're right… I'm so sick of giving out a fake number…"

"You give out fake numbers?" Sango asked. "That's kind of passive, isn't it?"

"I'm kind of passive, Sango. What's your point?"

Sango chuckled. "I'm just picturing the poor schmucks getting their courage all plucked up only to be greeted by a crotchety old man or some bodega owner that doesn't speak a lick of english."

"Yeah, I'm actually starting to feel guilty about it... I mean, what if the number I give out actually does belong to someone? I never even thought about that before..."

"You mean you give out the _same_ number every time?!" Sango asked incredulously.

"Well yeah. I've always just given my date of birth as the phone number." Kagome said innocently.

"Oh my god, Kagome!" Sango said scoldingly. "How many people have you given that number to?"

"Lots…" the younger girl answered contritely. "Probably at least twenty-five or thirty over the last few years…"

Sango removed the glove from her free hand using her teeth and tucked it under her arm, then she reached into the side pocket of her vest and pulled out her cell phone. "I'm texting it," she announced.

"No Sango! You can't do that!" Kagome made a quick grab for the phone, but Sango's reflexes proved quicker.

"The hell I can't!" she said as she jerked the phone away. "I gotta see if it's a real number. I just have to know," she said as they approached her building. When they entered the front door she slid her thumb across the screen of her phone and opened the message app. Sango was a detective studying to be a criminal profiler. She loved a good challenge, even when it wasn't a part of her job. "I really hope it's a guy," she mumbled.

Kagome watched her friend type as they ascended the staircase. "What are you saying?"

"I said, ' _Hello, is this a person_?'" Sango snickered.

They reached their floor and entered the apartment, gasping and shooting each other looks excitement when the phone chimed only seconds later.

 **'Who the hell wants to know?'**

"Oh! It's definitely a guy!" Sango said excitedly as she sat her coffee on the end table.

"How should we respond?" Kagome asked.

"Let's see…" Sango said, tapping her chin.

 _'What are you wearing?'_ She spoke the words aloud as she typed and sent the message.

"Don't mess with him! Don't you think he's already been messed with enough?" Kagome said.

 _*PING*_ the phone chimed again.

 **'I'm going to be wearing your ass as a shoe if you don't leave me the fuck alone.'** Sango read his response before bursting out a cackle and theatrically falling over onto the sofa.

"Oh, I like this guy Kagome!" Sango giggled as she began typing another message. _'How are you going to kick my ass if you don't know who I am?'_

 **'You better hope I never find out.'**

 _'Is that a threat? How do you know I'm not a cop?'_

 **'I don't give a rat's ass if you're the fucking president.'**

At this point both women were huddled on the couch, giggling as they read the messages.

"Okay, what should I say next Kagome? I'll let you pick since this is your mystery guy," Sango said.

"Umm...let me see…" she furrowed her brow. "Ask him if he has a job or still lives with an ex-girlfriend," Kagome giggled.

 _'My friend wants to know if you have a job, or a live-in ex-girlfriend, or possibly a den of snakes living in your bedroom.'_

"That's going to throw him for a loop," Sango said.

 **'I have a job, and I'm not sure what the difference is between an ex-girlfriend and a den of snakes, but I have neither living with me.'**

"Yes!" Sango cheered, laughing. "We got him roped in now. He's a clever one too..."

 **'Who are you and where did you get my number?'**

 _'A friend of mine has been using your number as a fake.'_ she replied.

"NO!" Kagome tried to slap the phone from Sango's hand.

Sango jerked the phone away. "I already hit send," she laughed.

"I can't believe you told him that!"

"It's fine. I'm the one whose number he has now, and you know I can deal with him," Sango said.

 _*PING*_

The girls turned to the phone.

 **'Your friend's a bitch.'** The message read.

"Ah!" Kagome gasped. "That jerk!"

Sango raised her brows. "You're the one that's been giving out his number to random guys for years…"

Kagome deflated. "Oh yeah...point taken…"

 _*PING*_

 **'Tell your little friend she needs to grow a backbone and stop giving out my fucking number.'**

"Tell him I just want to apologize. Tell him I said I'm sorry," Kagome said.

 _'She just wants to apologize to you. She said she is sorry.'_

 **'Tell her to text me herself then.'**

"No way! I'm not giving him my number! He might be a psycho," Kagome said.

"It's fine. He's not a psycho. And you know I would take care of it if he caused any problems," Sango said.

Kagome sighed. "So you think he's not a psycho? What else do you think?" she asked with timid curiosity.

"Male, 25-35, middle class, never married, no kids..." Sango paused. "Possibly youkai," she added.

"Youkai?" Kagome questioned. "You really think so?"

"I'm like...maybe seventy-five percent sure," Sango said.

Kagome thought for a second. "What the heck?" she said, slapping her knees. "I'll do it. What could it hurt?"

"There ya go!" Sango encouraged. "You need a little adventure in your life."

Sango wrote him back: _'Okay, but just so you know, I actually am a cop, so don't be a jerk. Threatening bodily harm is enough justification for me to trace your number.'_

 **'I'll play nice.'**

"The ball's in your court," Sango said to Kagome.

Kagome fished her own phone from her purse and opened the message app.

 _'Hi, crazy phone number girl here. I just wanted to say that I'm very sorry for giving your number out all those times. Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?'_ she typed and sent.

* _Bing-bong_ * Kagome's phone chimed.

 **'Ask again later.'** was his response.

Kagome frowned at her phone. "What? He's a magic eight-ball all the sudden?"

Sango laughed. "He's messing with you."

"What do I say?" Kagome asked.

"Nothing. Just ask him again later, like he said." Sango shrugged.

Kagome locked her screen and slid her phone onto the coffee table, thinking about what she was going to say when she wrote him again. She was kind of excited about it.

She let out a little giggle.

"What?" Sango asked.

"That was fun."


	2. Bury the Hatchet

Disclaimer: InuYasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I have nothing.

* * *

 **Phony Digits**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Two: Bury the Hatchet**_

* * *

"It's not that _all_ the girls there are hot, it's just that there are _so many_ girls there. Like...three hundred at least..." Miroku said to his roommate as he jogged on the treadmill, his voice jarring with every heavy footfall. "So, even if the ratio of ugly chicks to bangable ones is like two to one, that's still one hundred bangable chicks, right? And to tell you the truth...at this point, I'd even be willing to bang an ugly one."

InuYasha rolled his eyes, although he was slightly amazed by his friends ability to ramble continuously while running without becoming short of breath. It was annoying as hell, but none the less impressive, for a human.

"So, are you coming with me or what?"

"To a _church_ to pick up chicks?" InuYasha asked incredulously.

"Yeah." Miroku shrugged casually as if it were a perfectly normal thing to do.

"No. I already told you, no. Don't ask again," InuYasha said gruffly from his place on the sofa, in front of the television.

"And why not? Do you find it morally reprehensible?"

"No, I just find it pathetic...and I already have plans tonight, anyway."

"Oh, that's right, I almost forgot. You have to put in your hours with the queen..." Miroku said in a jaunty English accent.

"It's not like that you asshole," InuYasha said.

"I know what it's like. I have a really nice, clear view of it from the outside," he panted. "All the ' _InuYasha did you renew your insurance_?', ' _InuYasha did you floss your teeth_?', ' _InuYasha, did you—_ "

"Okay!" InuYasha cut him off. "I get it!"

"How can you stand it though?" Miroku asked. "She treats you like a child."

"It's different when were alone. She's not always like that."

Miroku raised an eyebrow. " _Right_ …" he drawled. "So you mean to tell me she's secretly a warm, caring person deep down?" he said, lifting his shirt-tail to wipe the sweat from his brow.

"Well, I don't know...it's just different, alright?"

"Oh...so you're saying she's good in the sack then?" Miroku asked, disbelieving.

At that InuYasha picked up a seat cushion from the sofa and flung it at his friend.

Miroku chuckled as he defected the large projectile with his arm. "I'm gonna have to take that as a ' _no_ '…"

"Will you shut up already?" InuYasha snapped.

Just then, both men turned their heads to the sound of InuYasha's phone vibrating against the coffee table.

"Oh my god!" Miroku exclaimed, his eyes darting around the room dramatically. "She has the place bugged! I knew it!"

InuYasha picked up his phone and looked at the screen. "It ain't her, idiot," he said. Although he had to admit, he _was_ a little freaked out there for a second...

He slid his finger across the screen and opened the message from an unfamiliar number. ' _Hello, is this a person_?' It read. InuYasha furrowed his brow.

"Who is it then?" Miroku asked.

"I don't know. Either a wrong number or someone just messing with me."

 **"Who the hell wants to know?"** he typed back.

 _'What are you wearing?'_ The mystery texter replied.

"Yeah, it's definitely someone messing with me," InuYasha said.

Miroku turned off the treadmill and stepped off the track before folding it up to the locked position with a snap. He then strode over to the sofa, leaning over the back to watch the volley of messages over his roommate's shoulder.

 **"I'm going to be wearing your ass as a shoe if you don't leave me the fuck alone."** InuYasha wrote back. Both men chuckled.

 _'How are you going to kick my ass if you don't know who I am?'_

 **'You better hope I never find out.'**

 _'Is that a threat? How do you know I'm not a cop?'_

"Do you think it could be a girl?" Miroku asked.

InuYasha rolled his eyes. "Of course that's what you'd wanna know," he said.

"Well, what if it _is_ a girl and she really is a cop?" Miroku said as he rounded the front of the couch and took a seat next to his friend. "A young, sexy cop...with a uniform...and handcuffs…" he said dreamily.

InuYasha turned and gave his friend an impassive glare. "Really? You do know that the chances of this random person being a young, sexy female cop are like slim to none, right?" he said.

"Don't take my dreams away, Yash. They're all I have!" Miroku said dramatically.

"I won't argue with that," InuYasha mumbled under his breath as he typed a response. **'I don't give a rat's ass if you're the fucking president.'**

 _'My friend wants to know if you have a job, or a live-in ex-girlfriend, or possibly a den of snakes living in your bedroom.'_

"Hey look," InuYasha said, turning his phone towards Miroku. "I'm starting to think this might actually be a girl. Maybe even two girls."

"Two girls!? Miroku shot upright, suddenly taking great interest.

InuYasha typed back. **'I have a job, and I'm not sure what the difference is between an ex-girlfriend and a den of snakes, but I have neither living with me.'**

"Ask them who they are," Miroku said.

 **'Who are you and where did you get my number?'**

 _'A friend of mine has been using your number as a fake.'_ came the response.

"What the _fuck?!_ " InuYasha exclaimed, turning to Miroku. "It's the fucking bitch that's been giving out my number!"

"You're kidding?! What does she want?"

 **'Your friend's a bitch.'** InuYasha wrote back.

"InuYasha!" Miroku scolded him. "Don't be so hasty! A girl who gives out fake numbers as often as she does is almost guaranteed to be hot."

"I don't give a damn," InuYasha said. "I already have a girlfriend, and I wouldn't be interested in this bitch even if I didn't."

"Well, you could put in a good word for _me_ ," Miroku said, pressing a hand to his chest.

InuYasha sighed. "No," he said flatly. "I don't have any good things to say about you."

Miroku let out an indignant huff, which went ignored by his roommate as he continued the text conversation with the possible, but not probable, sexy lady cop.

 **'Tell your little friend she needs to grow a backbone and stop giving out my phone number.'**

 _'She just wants to apologize to you. She said she is sorry.'_

 **'Tell her to text me herself then.'**

"Yes! That's perfect!" Miroku nodded excitedly. "Then you'll have the guaranteed hottie's phone number too!"

 _'Okay, but just so you know, I actually am a cop, so don't be a jerk. Threatening bodily harm is enough justification for me to trace your number.'_ The mystery texter said.

Miroku gasped. "She _is_ a cop! Ask her if she's hot?" he said, leaning in to get a better view of the screen.

"I ain't askin' her that, you dumbass," InuYasha said as he slapped his friend upside the head. "Besides she never actually said she was a girl. It could be a dude. And why are you sittin' so close to me?!" he said as he shoved Miroku away.

 **'I'll play nice.'** InuYasha typed to the presumed lady cop.

Just seconds later his phone buzzed with a text from a different number.

 _'Hi, crazy phone number girl here. I just wanted to say that I'm very sorry for giving your number out all those times. Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?'_

InuYasha had started to type 'sure', but Miroku stopped him. "No," he said, placing his hand over the screen. "If you just forgive her then you won't have a reason to text each other any more."

"I don't _want_ a reason to text her anymore," InuYasha argued.

"Come on!" Miroku nudged him with an elbow. "You're so boring. You have to admit, this is sort of fun."

"I can't string this girl along, Miroku. If Kikyo found out she'd kill me."

Miroku sighed. "I never imagined you'd end up pussy-whipped like this, InuYasha."

"I ain't pussy-whipped!" he said forcefully.

"Prove it then," Miroku challenged with a smirk.

InuYasha let out a long, contemplative breath, before lifting his phone and typing a response.

 **'Ask again later.'** He typed and sent the message before turning to his sweaty friend and saying, "You smell like ass, by the way."

"I smell like a man," Miroku corrected proudly.


	3. All Thumbs

Disclaimer: InuYasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I have nothing.

* * *

 **Phony Digits**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Three: All Thumbs**_

* * *

"We are going out tonight, Kagome. We are going out, and having drinks, and I'm going to teach you how to shoot a guy down with confidence," Sango said, slapping her friend on the knee. "You don't have your trusty old fake number to fall back on anymore."

"I'll just make up a new one," Kagome said.

"Oh no you won't! You have to be assertive, Kagome. You don't need that crutch anymore. Now c'mon. Get your shoes on. We're going shopping!" Sango spoke as if she were leading troops to war.

"Sir, yes Sir!" Kagome stood and saluted, before turning and marching toward the door.

Sango rolled her eyes and followed her. "We have to look extra cute tonight. You can't catch a fish without bait."

"But aren't we going to be shooting them down?" Kagome said as she pulled on her boots.

"We are, but just like fishing, it's still fun, even when you throw them back," Sango grinned mischievously.

"You're gonna make some lucky guy a fine wife one day Sango..." Kagome said facetiously, patting her best friend on the shoulder.

"You bet your ass I am," Sango said as the two women slipped out the door.

OOOOOOOOOO

"Bourbon, neat," Sango ordered the bartender as she slipped onto a barstool.

"You're so cool, Sango. Like a real-life western cowgirl," Kagome said, starry-eyed as she climbed onto the stool next to her friend.

"And what can I get for you, Miss?" The bartender asked Kagome.

" _Bourbon, neat_ ," Kagome mimicked her friend as gruffly as she could manage, pounding her fist on the bar.

Sango chuckled. "Oh, Kagome...you are _not_ gonna like it," she said shaking her head.

"How do you know? I might love it! I might become a bourbon _connoisseur_."

Sango rolled her eyes. "Just do me a favor and don't spit it back into the glass when you taste it. I still wanna be able to drink it."

The bartender returned with their drinks and Sango lifted her glass and took a sip as Kagome watched.

Slowly, Kagome lifted the glass to her nose and sniffed while Sango watched from the corner of her eye with amusement. "Smells alright," Kagome mumbled under her breath. Bringing the glass to her lips, she turned it up carefully and took the tiniest of sips. She closed her eyes as she fought the urge to spit into the glass. After forcing herself to swallow, she threw her hand over her mouth and coughed several times.

"So, how was it?" Sango asked, barely keeping a straight face.

"Bad!" Kagome choked. " _It's bad_!"

Sango threw her head back and laughed before reaching over, grabbing Kagome's glass and pouring the remaining contents into her own. "Bartender!" she called. "Can you get 'Clint Eastwood' over here a margarita on the rocks?" she raised her arm above Kagome's head and pointed down to her.

"Coming right up!" he called back.

While they were waiting, a man approached Sango and asked to buy her next drink. Sango stealthily turned to Kagome, winking and mouthing the words " _watch and learn_ ".

"Any other night I'd take you up on that offer, but you see I'm actually meeting someone here. Oh, there he is now!" Sango said, pointing across the room to the biggest scariest looking dude in the bar. "Oh, hey baby! Over here!" She waved and pretended to call him over.

"Uhh...sorry to bother you," the man said before turning and scurrying away.

Kagome chuckled. "Yeah, but won't he notice later that you aren't with that guy?"

"Sure, but by _that_ time it will be clear that I was just shooting him down and he'll leave me alone," Sango said.

"So you just lie, then? That's your big 'secret technique'?" she punctuated with air quotes. "How is that any better than what I do?" she asked as the bartender sat her margarita before her and she uttered her thanks.

"You should ask your fake number guy. I bet he could come up with one _very good_ reason why _my_ way is better," Sango said, chuckling. "And no, lying really isn't my usual technique. Saying something along the lines of 'not interested', or 'hit the road, pal!'. That's more my style, but I don't think you are ready for that yet, Grasshopper."

Kagome chuckled mirthlessly. "I don't think I'll ever be ready for that…"

"Now, start batting your eyes or something. And drink that," Sango said, pointing to the margarita. "You're going to need some liquid courage."

Kagome picked up her drink and took a sip.

Sango glanced over Kagome's shoulder and her eyes widened. "Ooh! Incoming!" she whispered, tapping Kagome's arm.

Kagome turned around just as the guy was taking a seat on the unoccupied stool beside her.

"Hi there," he said. "Mind if I sit?"

"Uh, sure, go ahead." Kagome nodded.

"You know, I come here all the time and I've never seen you here before. I'm Josh," he introduced himself as he extended his hand toward her.

"Kagome," she said as she accepted his handshake.

"Nice to meet you, Kagome."

Sango gave Kagome a little jab with her elbow. " _Do it_ ," she leaned in and whispered forcefully out of the corner of her mouth.

Kagome took a deep breath. "Umm… I should probably tell you now…I...umm..." Her eyes scanned the room, desperately searching for an excuse. "I'm...I'm pregnant!" she spouted out as she caught a glimpse of a pregnant woman on one of the big screen televisions. She wanted to slam her head into the bar. "Yes. That's right. _Pregnant_...that's what I am..." she trailed off. _Ugh… I am such an idiot..._

"Well...do you really think you should be drinking then?" the man furrowed his brow in concern.

She turned to her drink. "Oh, well, yes. Umm...about that, you see, there is a good explanation for this…" she chuckled nervously, picking up her glass and trying to think of what the 'good explanation' for a pregnant woman drinking alcohol could possibly be. "Uhh...the baby...is...a tequila youkai...er—" she squinted her eyes and shook her head. "...hanyou. Yes, a tequila hanyou," she jabbered on as she pressed a hand to her midsection for dramatic effect. "The father was a tequila youkai...and...it needs nourishment," she said as she lifted her glass and took a sip.

" _Uhh.._. _O-kay_ …" the man said, narrowing his eyes skeptically, having caught on to her obvious lie fairly early on. "I've never even heard of a _tequila_ youkai before," he played along sheerly for entertainments sake. He'd never before seen anyone crash and burn quite so spectacularly.

"Yep, I hadn't either until I...uhh...had sex with one…?" she finished slowly, ending the statement with an upward inflection that suggested that even she herself could not believe what she was saying. She closed her eyes and tried to mentally will herself to disappear. At this point Sango was already laying her head on the bar, shaking with laughter, fighting the urge to roll around on the floor.

"Well," the man cleared his throat. "It was nice meeting you."

Kagome just nodded, suddenly unable to formulate speech as he rose up from his stool to leave. "Oh," he turned back to her. "And for future reference, you could have just said it was a virgin margarita. That would have been a much more believable lie," he said with a smirk before turning and walking away.

As soon as the guy was out of earshot Sango let out a cackle. "Kagome!" she wheezed. "That was...I've never seen anything like it!"

Kagome picked up her margarita and downed the remainder, lifting and tapping the empty glass in a motion to the bartender for another.

" _I hadn't either until I had sex with one_!" Sango mocked, holding her sides as laughter induced tears gathered in her eyes. "I can't believe you said that. Oh, I have to write this down so I won't forget," she said as she pulled her phone from her pocket and began to type a note. "How is it possible to lie so badly, that even the person you're lying to feels the need to give you pointers? I wish I would have videoed it. I've never seen anything more awkward in my life," she said as she continued to laugh.

"You're enjoying this too much," Kagome said flatly, as she leaned on her elbows on the bar. "I'm definitely coming up with a new fake number," she sighed, dropping her face into her hands.

"You have my blessing now, Kagome," Sango said as she patted her friend on the back, her shoulders still shaking with laughter. "In fact, you can use my birthday if you want."

OOOOOOOOOO

Kagome took a cab home, and was relieved to find that her family members were all in bed when she arrived. She was an adult, but she was still uncomfortable with her family seeing her even slightly inebriated. _I really need to get my own place…_

She grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and tiptoed up the stairs as quietly as possible, entering the bathroom and completing her nightly rituals before slipping into her bedroom. She pulled her phone from her purse and texted Sango to let her know she had made it home okay; Sango replied with the same. Before she closed her text app the message thread between herself and the fake number guy—whom she had since saved in her contacts under the name 'Phony Digits'—caught her eye. _Well...I guess it's technically later now..._

 _'Do you forgive me yet?'_ she typed and sent.

She didn't get a response right away so she changed into her pajamas, plugged her phone into the charger and slid into bed. _It is pretty late...maybe he's asleep._

A few minutes later she almost jumped out of her skin when she heard the loud buzz of her phone vibrating against her nightstand. She grabbed the phone and felt a rush of excitement when she saw it was a text from 'Phony Digits'.

 **'Outlook not so good.'**

" _Grrr…_ " she growled. "Stubborn jerk."

 _'So you're still magic 8 balling me?'_

 **'Signs point to yes.'**

Kagome rolled her eyes.

 _'Just say you forgive me and we can end this charade.'_

 **'Don't count on it'**

 _'Fine! You know what, I take it back! I'm not sorry! Suck a lemon!'_

 **'Is that the best you got?'**

Kagome tried to think of some of the insults she used to use on her little brother… "Aha!"

 _'The zoo called. They are wondering who let you out of your cage.'_

 _Geez, that was so lame…_ She regretted sending it almost immediately.

 **'I was looking for a battle of wits, but you appear to have come unarmed.'**

 _Ergh! what an ass!_ She tapped her finger to her chin as she tried to think of a better insult. _Oh yes, I know!_

 _'The only way you could ever get laid is if you crawled up a chicken's ass and waited.'_

She chuckled to herself as she hit send.

 **'You're getting better.'** he responded.

 _'Hey! You're not 8 balling me anymore. Does that mean you forgive me?'_

 **'Most likely.'**

Kagome sent a smiley emoji in representation of the real smile that had spread across her face.

 _'Goodnight fake number guy.'_

 **'Goodnight crazy person.'**

Kagome giggled before nestling into the blankets and quickly drifting off to sleep.


	4. She Wears the Pants

Disclaimer: InuYasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I have nothing.

* * *

 **Phony Digits**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Four: She Wears the Pants**_

* * *

InuYasha lifted his phone from the cup holder of his car as he neared Kikyo's high-rise apartment complex. He dialed her number, hoping and praying she'd be ready to go so he wouldn't have to find a parking spot.

"Hey," she answered. "I'm going to need a few more minutes. You can come up and watch T.V. or something while you wait."

InuYasha sighed. "Okay, how long do you think you'll be? It might take me longer to find a place to park than it does for you to finish."

"I'm not sure, just look in the garage behind the building, there's usually something there."

There was _never_ anything there. Especially not on a Saturday. She would know this if she ever actually drove...or owned a car...

"Okay fine. I'll see you in a bit," InuYasha said before disconnecting. He wasn't _about_ to actually drive into that godforsaken parking structure. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he would not find an open space in there, and it would take him ten minutes just to get back out of the damn thing. He decided to circle the surrounding blocks instead and try his luck at finding a spot on the street. After several minutes of searching, he finally found an opening only four blocks from the building. A small victory, he concluded.

He briskly made his way down the street and into the building, through the lobby and up the elevators to Kikyo's nineteenth floor apartment. When he lifted his fist to knock, the door swung open and there stood Kikyo, fully dressed and ready to go.

He clenched his jaw, his arm remaining suspended in air.

The urge to roll his eyes was strong, but he somehow managed to fight it.

"Ready to go?" she asked, pointedly ignoring his obvious exasperation as she reached out with both hands to straighten his tie.

"I was ready fifteen minutes ago," he huffed, swatting her hands away.

"Now, now. Don't be testy, InuYasha. A lady doesn't just roll out of bed looking like this you know," she grinned.

"Yes, I know," he said in a defeated tone as he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. He took her hand and led her out the door to the elevators.

She did look good. She always looked good. The only problem was, InuYasha wasn't quite sure if her looks made up for the fact that she was boring, and annoying, and controlling and… InuYasha shook his head. _She's a good person, and she means well...and I love her…_

Back when they first met he had fallen for her hard and fast. She was a spunky, ambitious intern, fresh out of grad school, with hardly a penny to her name. People gravitated toward her and she quickly made her own way in the world, scaling the corporate ladder like it was child's play. A lot of things had changed along the way, though. Namely her attitude.

She had achieved what most people would refer to as 'overnight success', and with it had come an overnight change in her character. InuYasha actually found it somewhat surprising that she had chosen to stay with him this long. She drew a lot of attention from men who were much more suited to her current lifestyle than he, but she had remained faithful and seemingly devoted to him. Maybe it was the whole 'he was with me before I had money, so I know I can trust him' bit. He wasn't really sure, and he wasn't overly concerned about it. Kikyo wasn't the romantic type, and neither was he. It was really more of an arrangement than a relationship, and that was okay with him. She didn't pressure him for any major long-term commitment. They had fallen into a routine he could set his watch to. She stayed swamped with work during the week. They rarely talked unless it was a matter of urgency or importance. They went out on Saturday evenings, and since Kikyo and Miroku could not be civil towards one another, he would stay the night at her apartment. Usually they would have sex, but sometimes they wouldn't. They would have breakfast together on Sunday morning, then go their separate ways for another week. That had been the routine for the last couple of years, give or take a few odd social events here and there to which he would accompany her.

"Did you find a spot in the garage?" Kikyo asked as they reached the doors.

"No, I had to park down the street. I'll run and get the car and pick you up here," he said.

"Okay, but don't _actually_ run," she said. 'I'd rather be late than have you all sweaty when we get there."

"We can't be too late or they'll give our reservation away," InuYasha mumbled as he set about walking briskly to the car. When he rounded the corner he removed his wool overcoat and tore off in a dead run. Arriving at the car in a matter of seconds. He stood there a moment, cooling off. Which wasn't too difficult in the sub-freezing temperatures.

He slipped into his car and cranked up the heat as he pulled out into the street, hoping to get the temperature up to her standards. When he arrived in front of Kikyo's building he was relieved to see her trotting out towards the car in her ridiculously high heels. At this rate he had half expected to see her gone, on a run back up to retrieve her phone, or her lipstick, or some other forgotten item. It wouldn't be the first time.

He reached across and opened the passenger door for her from the inside and she slid into the seat, wasting no time voicing her complaint about the temperature of the car.

"Well, if you'd have been ready when I first showed up the car would've been nice and warm," he argued as he eased out into traffic.

"Are you not over that yet?" she said, turning to look at him. "And you ran, didn't you?"

"No," he said frowning.

"Yes, you did. You're all shiny."

He sighed. "I ran so we wouldn't lose our reservation. I didn't think you'd appreciate being turned down and having to go back to my place and eat instant ramen for dinner."

She rolled her eyes as she rummaged through her purse, pulling out a white cotton handkerchief. Without a word, she reached across the car and started to rub down his face with the cloth.

" _Gah!_ " InuYasha pushed her hand away. "Stop it! You're gonna make me crash!"

"Well, you should have thought about that before you ran when I asked you not to," she replied while continuing to run the handkerchief roughly over his face and neck. "There," she said, straightening his collar.

The rest of the car ride was spent mostly in silence.

OOOOOOOOOO

"So, why are we eating here again?" InuYasha asked, looking around the fancy restaurant as they sat waiting for their food.

"I've just heard good things about this place," Kikyo said. "And...there are some things I've been wanting to talk to you about…"

InuYasha's back stiffened at the sudden seriousness of her tone. "Things? What kinda things?" he asked hesitantly.

"Well, as you know, InuYasha, I'm going to be turning twenty-nine this year…" she said.

"Yeah, so?" he returned. He did _not_ like where this was going.

" _Yeah, so,_ " she mimicked. "I'm not exactly getting any younger. I'd like to get married and have children while I'm still able," she said casually.

"Isn't this…" InuYasha gulped. "Isn't this sort of sudden?" he said, his voice tinged with slight panic.

"Sudden? We've been together almost five years, InuYasha. How is that sudden?" she asked.

"Well, you've just never mentioned anything like this before."

"So you're telling me _you_ haven't thought about it?" she questioned calmly as she unrolled her napkin and draped it across her lap.

InuYasha looked like a deer in the headlights. He honest-to-god had never thought about it before. Not with Kikyo, not with _anyone_. He had never even thought about it in general 'what if' terms. Now that he thought about it...he wasn't sure _why_ he'd never thought about it. Was it because he had never met someone he would consider spending the rest of his life with? Or was he just not the 'husband' type? He didn't really know. All he knew was that he didn't want to marry Kikyo. Not right now...maybe not ever.

"Kikyo, I...no…" he said shaking his head. "I haven't thought about it."

"Well, _can_ you think about it?" she asked.

"Uhh...yeah. I can think about it," he said reluctantly, mostly just to appease her for the time being.

The rest of their date was probably the most uncomfortable InuYasha could ever remember having, and that was saying something. Kikyo jabbered on about work or some stupid thing, never even seeming to notice that InuYasha had long since stopped listening. He was busy thinking about weddings and babies and spending the rest of his life chained to the woman sitting across from him. The words flowing incessantly from her mouth sounding like another language to him. What was he doing? Could he spend every meal like this? Could he spend every _day_ like this?

"No," he unintentionally said aloud.

"What?" Kikyo asked, furrowing her brow in confusion.

He looked up to meet her eyes. "No... I said no."

"No, what? I didn't even ask you anything," she said, taking a sip of her water, seemingly oblivious to his inner turmoil.

"No, I don't want to get married or have children," he said, shocked by the confidence in his voice.

"You don't want to get married or have children _in general_ , or you just don't want that with _me_?" she asked carefully.

He drew a breath to speak, then hesitated a moment before answering honestly. "I don't know…"

"I see…" she said coldly. She lifted the napkin from her lap and tossed it into her plate. "Well, I'm done wasting my time, then," she said as she stood and turned to leave.

"Kikyo, wait!" InuYasha said as he stood and grabbed her arm. A somewhat hopefully look flashed across her face when she turned back to him. "At least let me drive you home," he said.

Her face fell and she jerked her arm from his grasp. "I'll take a cab," she said as she whirled around and stormed out, leaving InuYasha standing there, the center of attention in the crowded restaurant.

OOOOOOOOOO

InuYasha lay in bed that night staring up at the ceiling—his conflicting feelings of guilt and relief preventing him from falling asleep. He picked up his phone to look at the time and saw that he had received a text message.

 _'Do you forgive me yet?'_ It read. It was from the mystery woman who had been giving out his phone number.

 **'Outlook not so good.'** he replied.

 _'So you're still magic 8 balling me?'_

He smiled for the first time in hours.

 **'Signs point to yes.'**

 _'Just say you forgive me and we can end this charade.'_

 **'Don't count on it'**

He wasn't sure he wanted this charade to end.

 _'Fine! You know what, I take it back! I'm not sorry! Suck a lemon!'_

 **'Is that the best you got?'** he asked.

 _'The zoo called. They are wondering who let you out of your cage.'_

InuYasha rolled his eyes. _How lame_.

 **'I was looking for a battle of wits, but you appear to have come unarmed.'** he responded, his smirking face illuminated by the bright display of the phone.

 _'The only way you could ever get laid is if you crawled up a chicken's ass and waited.'_

He chuckled to himself.

 **'You're getting better.'**

 _'Hey! You're not 8 balling me anymore. Does that mean you forgive me?'_

He contemplated a moment before responding. He decided on another magic eight-ball response.

 **'Most likely.'**

She responded with a lone smiley-face emoji.

 _'Goodnight fake number guy.'_

 **'Goodnight crazy person.'**

InuYasha relaxed into his bed, finally finding repose.


	5. Out in the Wash

Disclaimer: InuYasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I have nothing.

* * *

 **Phony Digits**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Five: Out in the Wash**_

* * *

When InuYasha exited his bedroom the following morning his roommate gasped and jumped in surprise, inadvertently slinging his bowl of dry cereal across the countertops and floors.

"You startled me," Miroku said, clutching his chest.

"I live here, ya know," InuYasha grumped as he made his way into the kitchen.

"Yes, but you're usually at Kikyo's on Sunday morning. Did she cancel your weekly sex appointment or something?" Miroku asked facetiously.

"Actually...she broke up with me last night…" InuYasha said as he pulled out a chair from the kitchen table and plopped down.

Miroku turned slowly to InuYasha with a look of what could only be described as restrained jubilation. "Oh...I'm...so _sorry_?" he said in the least sincere tone InuYasha had ever heard. "What happened?"

"She pretty much gave me an ultimatum..."

"Pretty much?" Miroku repeated curiously, crossing his arms and leaning back against the cabinets, waiting for his friend to elaborate.

"Well, she told me she wanted to get married and have kids, I told her I didn't. Then she said she was done wasting her time and stormed out," he said, giving a little shrug.

Miroku walked over to his roommate and gave his shoulder a friendly squeeze. "You dodged a bullet, brother," he said in consolation.

"I kinda feel the same way to be perfectly honest..." InuYasha said. "I can't help but feel guilty though...I could tell she was hurt. I didn't mean to string her along or anything. I guess I just always thought she was sort of like 'all business' and not into the whole family life thing..."

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't surprised myself," Miroku said. "So you think it's really over?" he asked, not even attempting to hide his hopeful tone. "You don't think she's going to come crawling back after she's had time to cool off?"

"I don't know, but it doesn't really matter. I'm not gonna change my mind," InuYasha said shaking his head. "And you _know_ she never changes hers…"

Miroku nodded. "Stick to your guns, man," he encouraged him as he poured two mugs of coffee and brought them to the table, taking a seat across from InuYasha. "I gotta be honest with you, I couldn't _stand_ her. And that's really saying something coming from me, because she's a woman, and you _know_ how much I love women…"

InuYasha snorted. " _Everybody_ know's how much you love women."

"I'm serious, InuYasha. I wouldn't have touched _her_ with a ten-foot pole," he carried on.

InuYasha shot his roommate a dangerous glare, letting out a low growl at the backhanded insult.

"But to each his own!" Miroku said, throwing up his hands in surrender and chuckling nervously.

InuYasha grumbled under his breath. Miroku could only make out the words "ass" and "letch" among the jumble of curses.

"Speaking of women," Miroku said in attempt to change the touchy subject, "any more texts from the mystery girls?"

"Fake number girl texted me last night at like one A.M." InuYasha said nonchalantly as he took a sip of his coffee.

Miroku's eyes lit up. " _Oh_ , _really?_ " he drawled. "What did she say? Did you ask her if her cop friend is hot?" he asked excitedly.

"NO! I told you I'm not asking that."

"Then give me her number and I'll ask her."

"I ain't givin' you her number."

"Why not? She gave out your number to half the city."

"I don't care. I'm not giving you her number you pervert."

"Ahh… I _see_ ," Miroku grinned slyly. "Don't worry, InuYasha, I'm not going to try and steal her away from you."

InuYasha let out a frustrated growl. "I'm not worried about you _stealing_ anybody. I told you already, I ain't interested in the bitch!" he ground out.

"So I can have her number then?"

"No," InuYasha said, crossing his arms in a huff like a petulant child.

Miroku sighed. "Well, maybe I'll just have to start speeding or running stop signs…"

InuYasha narrowed his eyes at his friend. "Are you serious? You don't even know what she looks like," he said incredulously.

"This is _my_ fantasy, Yash. She can look however I want her to look. Besides, it's not like I can see her face when I've got my forehead pressed to the hood of my car while she's frisking me... Slowly running her hands up my inseams..." Miroku said dreamily.

InuYasha rolled his eyes. "You're more likely to end up getting a cavity search from her partner, 'Officer McFriendlyfingers'."

Miroku's eyes snapped open as he broke from his reverie. "There you go shattering my dreams again," he said, shaking his head dejectedly. "It is a sad man who steals the joy of his friends—"

"Shut up ya drama queen!" InuYasha cut him off.

"Ask Fake Number if her friend is a beat cop or a detective."

"No."

" _Please_ ," Miroku clasped his hands and begged. "I gotta know!"

"No."

"You won't grant this dying man his one wish?!" Miroku said theatrically.

"So you're _dying_ now?" InuYasha mocked him.

"I'm going to die if I don't meet her!"

InuYasha snorted as he pulled his phone from his pocket. "Alright, fine," he finally conceded.

Miroku instantly perked up.

InuYasha gave him an unamused look. "Glad to see you survived your near death experience," he said facetiously as he began to type a message to Fake Number.

"It was touch-and-go there for a moment," Miroku said.

 **'Is your friend a beat cop or a detective?'** InuYasha typed and sent.

"I wonder if she'll respond right away?" Miroku asked. He was answered by a loud _ding_ from InuYasha's phone. He moved around the table to sit beside his roommate, leaning in to spy on the conversation.

 _'Detective. Why?'_ the text read.

 **'My roommate wanted to know. She is his fantasy girl now. He was thinking about getting himself arrested on purpose to try and meet her.'**

 _'Lol. Well tell him he unfortunately might have to murder someone. She's a homicide detective.'_

"No way!" Miroku said, slapping his hand against the table. "Oh my god! I think I'm in love with this woman, InuYasha!"

"You're in love with every woman for a few minutes," InuYasha shot back.

 **'Then maybe I'll just kill him so they can get up close and personal.'**

"Hey!" Miroku feigned offense. "Give me that," he said as he snatched the phone from InuYasha's hand and began to type.

 **'Hi, I'm InuYasha's roommate Miroku…'**

"No!" InuYasha stopped him. "Don't tell her my name. It's too uncommon."

" _O-kay_ ," Miroku said as he backspaced.

 **'Hi, I'm Miroku the roommate. I was just wondering if your cop friend is a babe?'**

 _'My 17 y/o brother says she's at the top of his to-do list.'_ was her reply.

At that, both men let out a chuckle. "I have to meet these girls, Yash. I can not _live_ knowing that these dream girls are out there somewhere and I haven't met them…Do you still have Lady Cop's number in here?" he said as he began searching InuYasha's messages.

"No," InuYasha said as he snatched the phone back from Miroku. "I'm not giving you her number."

"Why not?!" Miroku pouted. "Why do you get them _both_ and I get nothing?!"

"Because she will _know_ I gave it to you."

"No she won't. I'll be sure to wait until enough time has passed that she won't suspect you."

"When she finds out you're my roommate she'll know it was me."

"It won't matter. By the time she finds out who I am she will already be madly in love with me, and she'll be _grateful_ to you for giving me her number," Miroku said seriously.

InuYasha rolled his eyes and sighed. "Whatever," he said, passing the phone back to his roommate. "But _just_ Lady Cop's number!" he added sternly.

"Thank you!" Miroku said, grinning knowingly as he pulled out his own phone and typed the number into his contacts under the name 'Sexy Cop'. He stood from the table and started toward his room.

"Hey! Aren't you gonna clean up this mess?" InuYasha said, motioning towards the bits of cereal littering the kitchen.

"I don't have time right now. I have to get ready for church," Miroku said without turning around.

OOOOOOOOOO

Kagome awoke the following morning to the sounds and smells of breakfast being prepared. For as long as she could remember, her mother always cooked a big meal on Sunday mornings. Even when her father had died unexpectedly and their lives were thrown into chaos and confusion, Sunday morning breakfasts had remained the one consistency.

She put on her fuzzy purple robe over her pajamas, slipped her phone into the pocket, and padded down the stairs in sock-feet. For a moment she could almost imagine she was a little girl again, in her childhood home on the grounds of an ancient shrine in Tokyo.

When she rounded the corner she saw that she was, as usual, the last one to arrive at the table.

"Good morning, Sleepyhead!" her mother's smiling face greeted her.

"Good morning, Mama," she responded groggily.

She took a seat next to her teenage brother who was busy stuffing his face with food.

"Did you leave any for me?" Kagome teased.

"Not on purpose," he replied through a mouthful of scrambled eggs.

Kagome felt her phone vibrate against her hip. She drew it from her pocket and found she had received a text from Phony Digits.

 **'Is your friend a beat cop or a detective?'** the message read.

"Kagome," her mother said, "what's the rule about cell phones at the table?"

"It will only take a second, Mama," she said as she typed.

 _'Detective. Why?'_

"Who is it?" Souta asked, furrowing his brow.

Kagome explained the situation to him.

"So you don't actually know this person, then?" he asked.

"Nope."

Souta leaned over so he could see the conversation taking place.

 **'My roommate wanted to know. She is his fantasy girl now. He was thinking about getting himself arrested on purpose to try and meet her.'**

 _'Lol. Well tell him he unfortunately might have to murder someone. She's a homicide detective.'_

 **'Then maybe I'll just kill him so they can get up close and personal.'**

Kagome and Souta giggled at the response.

"This is very rude behavior you two," their mother said. "You aren't planning on meeting this person are you?"

"No, Mother," Kagome sighed.

"I'm serious, Kagome. It's not safe. You don't know what kind of person he is," she said.

"I don't know what kind of person _any person_ is, Mama," Kagome retorted. "But don't worry. I'm not meeting him."

 **'Hi, I'm Miroku the roommate. I was just wondering if your cop friend is a babe?'**

She took a moment to think of her reply. _Hmmm...how would I describe Sango…_

"How would you describe Sango, Souta?" Kagome asked her little brother.

"Tell him she's at the top of my to-do list." he joked.

"Souta Higurashi!" their mother scolded.

The siblings burst out in a fit of giggles.

"I can't believe I've raised such unruly children," Mrs. Higurashi said, lifting her teacup to her lips to hide her own smile.

 _'My 17 y/o brother says she's at the top of his to-do list.'_ Kagome chuckled to herself as she hit send.

"Okay you two, I'm serious now. Eat your food before it gets cold," their mother said.

"Yes, Mama," they said in unison as Kagome slipped her phone back into her pocket.


	6. Breaking the Ice

Disclaimer: InuYasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I have nothing.

* * *

 **Phony Digits**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Six: Breaking the Ice**_

* * *

Once again, Kagome found herself lying awake, thinking about a man she had never met. She was trying to picture what he might look like; what his voice might sound like. She had no idea why she was so intrigued by thoughts of this stranger. Perhaps it was that she found the mystery of it all very exciting and she had always secretly been a hopeless romantic. Several days had passed since she had last received a text from him, and she was beginning to feel disheartened.

She had intended to wait for him to make the next move, but she was sure that if he was going to he would have done it by now. The last conversation they had seemed open ended enough...

 _Maybe he's waiting on me. He was the last to initiate a conversation, afterall..._

She grabbed her phone from her nightstand, her thumb hovering circles above the message app icon while she deliberated. _Is it too forward? Will it make me seem desperate?_

Ultimately she pushed aside her inner turmoil, stepped out of her comfort zone, and took the initiative.

 _'What's your name?'_ she typed and sent.

InuYasha was watching television with his roommate when he heard his phone buzz against the end table. He unenthusiastically grabbed the device—figuring it was more than likely his mother, checking to make sure he was still alive after hearing about some fatal car crash or apartment fire on the news. His heart skipped a beat when he saw who the message was from. He figured that since he initiated the last conversation, he should wait for her to make the next contact. Truth be told, he had almost started to lose hope.

"I'm going to bed," he told Miroku as he rose from the couch abruptly.

"Fake number?"

"No."

Miroku snorted. "Sure. Whatever you say, man," he said without moving his eyes away from the T.V.

InuYasha ignored his friend, reading the message and typing a reply as he made his way to his bedroom.

 **'Wouldn't you like to know.'** he responded. He entered his room, closing the door behind him and plopping onto his bed.

 _'Oh come on! Just tell me your first name.'_

 **'If you knew it you'd be able to look me up.'**

 _'Ah...so it's a weird name then? Is it Rumpelstiltskin?'_

 **'Yep. That's it. You got me.'**

 _'Lol. Ok. And what do you do for a living Mr. Stiltskin?'_

 **'Civil drafting.'**

After Googling 'civil drafting' to see what it actually was, Kagome responded. _'That's interesting.'_

 **'No it's really not. It's what engineering students who slacked off in college do for a living.'**

 _'So you don't enjoy your job?'_

 **'Think of the most boring thing you've ever done and multiply it by 1000 and that is my job.'**

 _'Lol.'_

 **'So what do you do?'** he asked her.

 _'I'm a forensic scientist.'_

 **'No, seriously.'**

 _'I am being serious.'_

 **'And you had the nerve to call my job interesting? So you study DNA or what?'**

 _'Ballistic fingerprinting and toolmark analysis. Matching weapons to crimes, to the layperson.'_

 **'Hey you don't have to dumb it down...I've seen CSI!'**

 _'Lol. My bad. Didn't know you were an expert.'_

 **'So I guess that's how you know Lady Cop then.'**

 _'Lady cop?'_

 **'That's what me and Miroku call your friend. Actually, I think he has started calling her sexy cop now.'**

 _'Yes we work together. So what do you and Miroku call me?'_

 **'Miroku calls you Fake Number, but I usually add a few more adjectives.'**

 _'Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!'_

 _'_ **Oh, I'm sorry, did I say adjectives? I meant expletives.'** InuYasha smirked to himself as he hit send.

 _'Why you!'_

He chuckled at her response. **'Cool your jets woman, I'm only joking. What do you call me?'**

 _'Phony Digits.'_

 **'I like that. I wish I'd come up with it first.'**

 _'Well, we can't all be geniuses. If we were then who would do the civil drafting?'_ Kagome giggled to herself as she hit send.

 **'Cheeky wench.'**

 _'What, are you a pirate now?'_

 **'Maybe.'**

 _'Are there a lot of pirates in your line of work?'_

 **'More than you'd think, but most of them work for the transit authority.'**

 _'Lol.'_ she typed as she actually did laugh out loud.

 **'Go to sleep.'**

Kagome glanced at her clock. It was eleven-thirty. She sighed as she typed back, _'Ok. Goodnight Rumpelstiltskin.'_

 **'Goodnight Cheeky Wench.'**

OOOOOOOOOO

"...and you'll really appreciate this, the murder weapon turned out to be a freaking _sword_! And not just any sword, it was a collectible ' _Game of Thrones_ ' replica!" Sango said, shaking her head. "Can you believe that? Kagome? Are you even listening to me? _He-llo!_ Earth to Kagome!" she said, snapping her fingers about an inch from her friends nose.

Kagome jerked from her reverie. "Huh?" She lifted her gaze from her half-eaten sandwich to her friend. "Oh, yeah, I'm listening!" she said, nodding furiously, pretending to have heard the conversation.

"Is that so?" Sango asked, narrowing her eyes. "Well, what I was saying then?"

"Uhh…" Kagome struggled. "Something about...nerds and swords?"

Sango huffed. "That's what I thought. What were you thinking about? I've never seen you with your head in the clouds like this... Did you meet someone?"

"No!" Kagome denied entirely too quickly and defensively.

"...you _did_ …" Sango said slowly. "You did, and you're trying to hide it from me…"

"No, I'm not. I swear to you, Sango, I haven't met anyone! And you know I can't lie," Kagome defended.

"What were you thinking about then?"

"Nothing…" Kagome said, her eyes darting away evasively.

"Was it a guy?"

"No!"

"Kagome…" Sango leaned over the table toward her friend. "We can do this the easy way, or we can do this the _hard_ way…" she mock-threatened.

"Are you 'bad copping' me?!" Kagome asked incredulously.

"Just tell me dammit!" Sango cursed, pounding her fist on the table.

" _Ergh!_ Okay, fine!" Kagome conceded. "Remember...the guy you texted...the fake number guy?"

"You're asking me if I remember what happened less than a week ago? No, no I have no idea what you're talking about." Sango said facetiously.

"If you're going to be a smart aleck, I'm not going to tell you!" Kagome huffed.

"Okay, okay!" Sango placated. "I'm sorry. Keep going."

"Well...it's nothing really… we've just...texted back and forth a few times since then..." Kagome said without making eye contact with her friend across the table.

"Ooohhh… I see. Little Kaggy Drew, never can resist a mystery," Sango teased. "So what are you going to do? Are you going to meet him?" she asked.

"No way," Kagome said firmly, shaking her head.

"Why not?" Sango asked casually, taking a sip of her water.

"I don't know anything about him. He could be sixty years old or a psycho rapist or something!" Kagome whispered the last part across the table.

"That guy could be a rapist," Sango said, brazenly pointing to the man sitting at the table next to them. "But here we are, sitting in this public place eating lunch right next to him."

The man turned to look at them wide-eyed, clearly having heard what Sango said about him. "Well, are you?" Sango asked the guy.

"N-NO!" the man adamantly denied, shaking his head furiously.

"See Kagome, as it turns out, most people _aren't_ evil rapists," Sango said as the man next to them gathered his things and moved to find a new table. "I'm not telling you to meet the guy in some dark alley in the night or anything. Just meet him for lunch or coffee or something. I'll even come and sit close by if it makes you feel better."

"I appreciate what you're doing Sango, but I'm not meeting him. I mean, it's not like he's shown any interest in meeting me anyway...he won't even tell me his name," Kagome said, not doing a great job of hiding her disappointment.

Sango gave her friend a sly grin. "I'm sure he'll come around."

Kagome sighed and leaned her elbow on the table, resting her chin on her fist. "How desperate am I that I have a crush on someone I've never even _seen_?"

Sango chuckled.

"He said he has a roommate," Kagome said hopefully. "That's a pretty good sign he's not married or old or psychotic, right?"

Sango nodded. "It's a very good sign...of course he could still be a gross, smelly slob with yellow teeth."

Kagome cringed. "Gee, thanks," she said flatly.

"Don't mention it," Sango said. "Hey, maybe he has a girlfriend...or boyfriend."

"Is this supposed to be making me feel better?" Kagome asked.

"No, I'm just saying maybe the reason he hasn't asked to meet you or told you who he is, is that he's already with someone."

Kagome nodded. "Oh…yeah...You know, you're right. I should probably ask…but if I ask him _that_ he'll definitely think I'm coming onto him."

"You _would_ be coming on to him."

"Yeah, but I don't want it to be obvious."

Sango looked off in thought, tapping her finger against her chin. "How to ask so that he doesn't know you're asking…" she mumbled to herself. "I know, just ask him if he did anything fun over the weekend. It's not foolproof or anything, but at least it won't be obvious. If he's in a relationship with someone, he probably did something with them, right?"

"Yeah. Okay. That might work." Kagome nodded, without making a move to follow through.

Sango looked at her expectantly.

"Oh, you want me to do it _right now_?" Kagome asked.

"Yeah, _no doy!_ " Sango snapped.

"Well, I was the last to start a conversation, so it's his turn."

"His _turn_?" Sango mocked her. "This isn't middle school Kagome, just send the damn message."

"Fine," Kagome conceded with a sigh. She knew that if she didn't do it, Sango would take it upon herself to do it, and she wouldn't be so subtle about it. She pulled her phone from her purse and typed, _'Do anything fun this weekend?'._ She sent the message, despite the fact that she felt it sounded a little stupid and random.

 **'I don't have a girlfriend.'** he replied.

Kagome gasped.

"What is it?" Sango asked her.

"He _knew_ what I was doing!" Kagome said, slapping her hand over her eyes. "Oh God...how embarrassing!"

Sango threw her head back and laughed at her friend's distress.

 _'I wasn't hinting at that!'_ Kagome refuted.

 **'OK.'**

 _'I wasn't!'_

 **'OK.'**

 _'You're the worst.'_

 **'Did you do anything fun this weekend?'**

Kagome felt a flutter of excitement in her chest. "He turned the question around on me," she said, trying to contain her smile.

"And you thought he wasn't interested." Sango grinned.

 _'Just went to my son's little league game with my husband.'_ Kagome typed and sent.

 **'You're full of shit.'**

 _'No I'm not. I'm married to a rich doctor and he is tall and has a deep voice.'_

 **'Whatever you say cheeky wench.'**

 _'He's making passionate love to me right now.'_

 **'It must be really good if you're texting me through it.'**

 _'Go away.'_

 **'Ok. Enjoy the rest of your lunch.'**

Kagome smiled and shook her head. _'Yeah. You too.'_


	7. A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Disclaimer: InuYasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I have nothing.

* * *

 **Phony Digits**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Seven: A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words**_

* * *

 _*Bing Bong*_

Kagome's phone chimed as she sat at her desk in front of her computer monitor, working and eating her lunch simultaneously. She couldn't help but smile when she read the text.

 **'Send me a picture of you.'** It read.

She had been exchanging texts with Phony Digits for the last couple of weeks now. They still hadn't gotten any closer to revealing their identities, and he had yet to express any interest in meeting her in person.

 _'You send me a picture.'_ she responded.

 **'I would, but I'm really handsome and I don't want you to feel intimidated.'**

Kagome rolled her eyes despite the grin that spread across her face. She did a web search for 'bikini model photo' and sent him a picture of a sexy blond who seemed to be crawling around the beach with her ass in the air, wearing only what appeared to be several strands of white dental floss. She added the caption: ' _This was me a while back before the boob job.'_

InuYasha chuckled to himself upon opening the text. _Cheeky wench._ He thought as he opened his Google app and did his own image search for 'nerdy teenager', choosing the geekiest looking school yearbook photo he could find and sending it to her with the caption: ' **Me last year. My mustache has filled out a lot since then. Hosting D &D campaign tonight. Finally get to be dungeon master! Score!' **He snickered at his own antics as he hit send.

 _'Am I invited?'_ Kagome replied.

 **'Yes. Bring beer. You can come in through the basement window so mom won't see.'**

"Higurashi!"

Kagome jumped at the sound of her co-worker's voice as he entered her sterile, white office without knocking.

"Oh, sorry. Didn't mean to scare you." the lab coat clad forensic anthropologist apologized. "Miyahara needs you to go look at a stiff. She and Renji are down in the lab waiting for you."

Kagome sighed and disappointedly looked down at her half eaten salad. She knew her lunch wouldn't be very appealing immediately following a postmortem. "Do you want the rest of this?" she asked, lifting the plastic container of salad towards him.

"No, thanks," he said, crinkling his nose with a frown of disgust.

Kagome rolled her eyes as she stood from her stool, standing eye-to-eye with his compact stature. "You know, you have to eat your vegetables if you want to gwow up _big_ and _stwong_ ," she teased him in a baby voice as she reached out to ruffle his tousled, tawny hair.

"Height is predetermined by genetics, Kagome," he stated matter-of-factly as he swatted her hands away.

"I know that, Shippo, it was a _joke_ ," she said as she made her way to the door, grabbing her lab coat from the hook and pulling it on. "Are you coming?" she turned and said as she straightened her collar.

"No way!" he shook his head vigorously. "I don't want a ghost to follow me home!"

Kagome raised a brow. "But...isn't your _job_ to look at skeletons…?" she asked dryly.

"Yes, but in the time it takes for the decomposition process to leave nothing but bones, the ghost has had plenty of time to cross over to the other side," he said plainly, as if it were common knowledge.

Kagome chuckled. "You're a nut, Shippo," she said, shaking her head as she exited her office.

OOOOOOOOOO

"So, are we officially a couple now?" Miroku asked as he slid into the booth across from his friend.

"Shut up." InuYasha grumped, slipping his phone into his breast pocket.

"I would just like to know where this relationship is headed, InuYasha. I don't want to limit my options if you aren't going to settle down and make a commitment. I'm no spring chicken, you know."

"I said shut up, idiot! You're wearing out this joke."

"Well, I can understand how dating someone like Kikyo would turn you against all women, but I really think it's high time you get back out there and sow your wild oats."

" _Keh!"_ InuYasha scoffed. "You know I'm more of a one-oat kinda guy, Miroku."

" _O-kay_ , so go out and sow _one_ oat, then. Just get out a do _something_. Is this about Kikyo? Are you...heartbroken or something…?"

" _Keh!_ _No_ …" InuYasha huffed. "actually I almost feel guilty about how _not_ heartbroken I am. I've hardly even thought about her at all since we broke up. I guess I didn't know how... _oppressed_ I'd been..."

"Really?" Miroku said, raising a brow. "Because I feel like I made a point of telling you quite often."

"I tune you out," InuYasha said.

The waitress arrived and took their orders. As usual, Miroku brazenly flirted with her despite that fact she was easily old enough to be his mother.

"So…" Miroku continued after the waitress had left. "could this be about Fake Number, then?" he asked, getting back to the subject of InuYasha's love life. "Because I gotta tell you, Yash, I don't think it's going to pan out. If she was going to meet you, she'd have done it by now."

"It's not about her."

"Then what's it about?"

"It's not about anything! It's only been two weeks for Christ's sake!"

" _Right_... and for two weeks you've been texting this girl almost every day and still don't even know her name. What do you two even talk about?"

"Nothing really," he shrugged. "Mostly just joking around."

"So flirting, then? Flirting without the possibility of sex. It seems pointless to me, man," Miroku said shaking his head.

"So being _friends_ with a woman is pointless?" InuYasha asked. "You are such a sleazebag," he added, shaking his head.

"I'm not a sleazebag, Yash. I'm just a man. I have needs!" he half-joked. "Speaking of which, do you think enough time has passed that I can text Lady Cop?"

" _Keh!_ " InuYasha scoffed. "So when _I_ text a stranger it's pointless, but it's okay for _you_ to do it?"

"What I said was, 'flirting without the possibility of sex is pointless'; but I assure you, when _I_ flirt, there is always the possibility of sex."

InuYasha sighed and rolled his eyes.

Their meals were delivered and Miroku continued to carry the bulk of the conversation, mostly centering around women, and how to seduce them. He was, afterall, a self-proclaimed expert in the art of seduction. Although this expertise seemed to be lacking in evidence...

When InuYasha had finished and paid for his meal he stood from the table. "I'm going back to work," he said as he slipped on his fleece jacket.

"Have fun!" Miroku said facetiously, knowing InuYasha despised his job.

"Watching paint dry would be more fun than listening to you," InuYasha shot back without turning around as he headed for the door of the diner.

Miroku removed his phone from his pocket and opened the message app, typing a text to 'Sexy Cop'.

 **'I bet your uniform looks great on you, but it would look even better on my bedroom floor.'** he typed and sent. Smiling smugly at what he believed to be a clever pick up line.

OOOOOOOOOO

"Well, this is a first for me!" Kagome said, her tone slightly too enthusiastic considering the subject matter. "The murder weapon was a large, phillips-head screwdriver. I've seen hammers, crowbars, pipe wrenches" she counted off on her fingers. "...but this is my very first screwdriver!"

"Congratulations," Sango joked as she strode up beside her friend, patting her on the back. Her eyes scanned the corpse that lay on the cold steel table of the autopsy lab. "How could you tell?" she asked, looking over the wounds.

"See this right here?" Kagome answered, pulling down the swing-arm lamp over the victim's torso and using a magnifying glass to reveal a tiny, shallow, X-shaped puncture surrounded by a dark bruise. "That was likely the first strike." She wrapped her fists around the handle of the magnifying glass and raised it over her head, bringing it down quickly in a stabbing motion before stopping abruptly just above the cadaver. "They either miscalculated the force it would take, or they hesitated on that first swing just leaving the tell-tale cross mark of the phillips head."

Sango and her partner leaned in to look at the wound.

"If they _did_ have any qualms they got over them fairly quickly... considering this guy was stabbed over thirty times," Kagome continued.

"Probably stepping out on his woman...or moving in on somebody else's..." Sango's partner, Detective Renji, commented.

Sango rolled her eyes. "That is so presumptuous, Renji," she scolded him. "The poor guy can't even defend himself."

"Poor guy, my ass!" he shot back. "Fifty bucks it was his lover's husband that did it." He extended his hand towards his partner.

"You're on," Sango said, giving his hand a firm shake to seal the deal.

"What about you, Kagome? You want in on this?" Renji offered.

Kagome narrowed her eyes. She wasn't sure if he was referring to the bet or just being suggestive. Knowing him, it was probably both. "No, Kouga," she said shaking her head. "That's morbid."

"Oh, come on! We're just having fun! Just like this guy was before he got shish kabobed with a screwdriver," he chuckled.

Kagome had not yet gotten to the point that she could make jokes about the victims. She sort of hoped she never would.

"Besides, isn't the detectives betting on the murder considered a conflict of interests or something?" she asked.

"You know we're straight shooters. We wouldn't throw the case over fifty dollars…" Sango brushed aside, "but we're really not supposed to, so don't mention it to anyone," she added in a whisper.

Kagome snickered and shook her head.

"Well, I think the guy probably just stole from the wrong person," Sango said, returning to the subject. "Cash or drugs or…" she paused as she felt her phone vibrate against her hip. She pulled the phone from it's holster and saw she had received a text from an unfamiliar number.

 **'I bet your uniform looks great on you, but it would look even better on my bedroom floor.'** She snorted upon reading.

"Look at this Kagome," she held out her phone. "It's got to be Phony Digits' roommate."

Kagome's eyes scanned the text. "It's Miroku."

"Miroku? That's his name?" Sango asked.

Kagome nodded. She had already informed her friend that she had a secret admirer.

 _'Hello_ _Miroku.'_ Sango typed, smirking as she hit send.

"Phony Digits?" Kouga said, furrowing his brow in confusion.

"Oh," Sango waved a hand, "long story short, it's a guy Kagome's been texting. We don't know his real name."

"A complete stranger, then?" he questioned her. "That's dangerous Kagome. I don't like this. You could end up with a stalker," he said sternly, shaking his head.

"Ha!" Sango scoffed, slapping Kouga across the back. "That's ironic coming from _you_ , Renji!"

"And just what the hell is _that_ supposed to mean?!" he said indignantly.

"I think you know what it means…" Sango suggested.

"So you think this is a good idea, then?" he asked.

"It's fine," she waved a hand in dismissal. "These guys are harmless."

"There is no way you could get a good read on these guys through texts messages, Miyahara."

"You're just jealous." she said as she jabbed his ribs with her elbow.

Kouga's expression changed to a scowl as he crossed his arms in a huff.

Sango felt her phone vibrate in her hand as she chuckled at her partner's turmoil.

 **'How did you know it was me?'** came Miroku's reply.

 _'You have to get up pretty early in the morning to fool me, bub.'_

 **'Well, I stand by what I said.'**

 _'Well, I'm not wearing a uniform.'_

 **'That sounds even better.'**

 _'In your dreams, pal.'_

 **'Ah yes, of that I can assure you.'**

 _'Have these lines ever worked on any woman?'_

 **'You'd be surprised.'**

 _'I bet I wouldn't.'_

 **'Why don't you have dinner with me sometime and you can find out for yourself?'**

 _'Pass.'_

 **'Suit yourself, but I won't give up so easily.'** he sent, along with a selfie of his winking face sporting a cocky smirk.

 _'Do your worst.'_ she challenged, an amused grin pulling at her lips as she slid her phone back into her pocket.

 _Well... he_ is _kinda cute…_


	8. I'm All Ears

Disclaimer: InuYasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I have nothing.

* * *

 **Phony Digits**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Eight: I'm All Ears**_

* * *

Kagome strapped on her goggles and slid her hearing protection headset over her ears. She wasn't exactly sure why, but this was her favorite part of the job.

With a gloved hand, she slipped the small black pistol from the plastic evidence bag. Turning off the safety switch with her thumb, she carefully placed the muzzle into the small, round opening at the end of a long, lead water tank. She fired off several rounds into the water in quick succession, all the while completely unaware that she was being watched through the glass windows behind her.

Forgetting that Kagome's hearing and peripheral vision would be impaired by her protective gear, Kouga sauntered into the lab, plopping a hand down heavily upon her shoulder.

"EEEEEEEEEK!" she shrieked loudly, inadvertently squeezing the trigger on the high caliber pistol, which had thankfully been spent of ammunition. " _Goddammit_ , _Renji!_ What the _hell_ are you _doing_?!" she yelled.

Kouga threw his hands up in surrender, knowing full well the mistake he had made. " _Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry!_ " he apologized frantically, having the good sense to take a few steps back.

" _Sorry_ won't be good enough if you make me shoot a hole in the wall, or _worse_!" she scolded as she removed her earmuffs and placed them, along with the gun, on a small side table. "Are you trying to get me fired?!" she asked, stepping toward him and shoving his chest with both hands.

"I'm so sorry, Kagome! You just looked so cute, I wasn't thinking," he quickly defended.

"Don't try to flatter your way out of this, Kouga! _UGH!_ How did you even become a cop?!" she continued to rant, ripping her goggles off and throwing them in his face.

He flinched as the plastic goggles bounced off his forehead and landed on the floor. He had never seen her get angry enough to curse, much less become violent. Kouga grabbed her shoulders and leaned down to look her square in the eyes. "Kagome," he said calmly as she struggled to push him away, "I'm _sorry_. Please calm down."

"Don't tell me to calm down, Kouga! I could have _killed_ someone just now! I have half a mind to report you for this!"

"You won't though, will you?" he asked nervously as he released her shoulders. He was already on thin ice with the Captain for his absent-mindedness...

Kagome let out a loud sigh as she closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and index finger. "No. I won't report you…this time. But could you at least _try_ to be a little more conscientious?" she asked.

"I will never do anything like this again, Kagome, you have my word," he said, placing his hand over his heart.

Kagome rolled her eyes, knowing he would probably be doing some other dumb thing within the hour. "What are you doing in here anyway?" she asked him, her eyes narrowed.

"I was just stopping in to see if maybe you'd like to have dinner with me tonight...but I have a feeling I may have blown my chances…" he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

As much of a people-pleaser as Kagome was, Kouga was the one person whom she had no qualms turning down. This was likely due to the fact that she had much practice doing it. In the last ten months she had been at the precinct, he had asked her out no less than twenty times.

"There weren't any chances to blow, Kouga. I've told you before, I don't want to get involved with anyone from work." she said flatly, sounding well rehearsed.

"I'm just gonna keep askin'," Kouga said cheekily as he turned to leave.

"And I'm just gonna keep turning you down," she shot back.

Kouga turned back to her with a smirk. "See you Monday, Higurashi," he said, before slipping out the door.

The fact that he was a co-worker wasn't the only reason she wasn't interested in Kouga. His cocky attitude had a whole lot more to do with her rejection. One thing she had discovered during her dating escapades was that the vast majority of youkai had that particular personality affliction.

Then she remembered something else…

Sango seemed to think that Phony Digits was likely a youkai. How had she forgotten that?

It was no matter. She wasn't the least bit racist, and she wouldn't assume anything about his character based on a stereotype. Afterall, Shippo was a youkai, and he was one of her closest friends…

But now she was more curious than ever…

Those thoughts continued to swirl in her mind as she carefully gathered up the bullets and shell casings and headed back up to her lab.

OOOOOOOOOO

On her walk home, Kagome took out her phone and texted Phony Digits with the question that had been plaguing her mind all afternoon.

 _'Can I ask you a personal question?'_ she texted him.

 **'Shoot.'** he quickly responded.

 _'Are you a human?'_

After a couple minutes passed with no response, Kagome began to worry she had crossed a line.

 **'Not entirely.'** he finally responded.

 _'So you must be a hanyou then.'_

 **'Yes. Does that bother you?'**

 _'No not at all. Just satisfying my curiosity.'_

Now Kagome really couldn't help but wonder what he looked like. Hanyou weren't all that common, but she had seen her fair share. Some of them looked very human, and some of them looked very... _not_ human. She wasn't really a shallow person, but if he turned out to be nine feet tall or had a pig snout or something… _Oh stop it, Kagome! Don't think like that!_ She shook her head of the thought.

Her phone then vibrated in her hand with a new message which read: **'I look mostly human.'**

She stared at the text bubble, for a moment wondering if it were possible this guy could be a mind reader...

 _'I wasn't worried about that!'_ she wrote back _._

 **'Yeah you were. It's ok. I would be too.'**

If she knew what kind of hanyou he was, she could probably figure out what characteristic he was referring to when he said 'mostly'. _Oh well, I guess it never hurts to ask..._

 _'What kind of hanyou are you if you don't mind me asking.'_

 **'My dad is a dog youkai and my mom is human.'**

 _So it's probably either a tail or dog ears…_ she thought. _I could live with that..._ w _ait...live with that? What am I saying? It's not like I'm going to meet him. What does it matter?_

 _'Ah, so you're a proper hanyou then.'_ she wrote back, accompanied by a winking emoji.

 **'If ever there was one.'** he responded.

A few seconds later he sent another message.

 **'If you met me in person, then you'd know exactly what I look like.'**

Kagome let out a tiny gasp, and smiled despite the butterflies in her stomach. Finally he was asking to meet her. She had given up hope that he ever would.

And now that it was happening she couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

 **'Or maybe you're scared.'** he added.

 _'Are you trying to manipulate me, Phony Digits?'_ she responded.

 **'No. I just thought you might be scared of the big bad hanyou.'**

 _'Give me some time to think about it.'_

InuYasha's heart leapt at her response. He had halfway expected a firm 'no' after revealing his heritage to her. He wasn't sure what possessed him to finally ask her to meet him in person, and strangely enough, he wasn't sure why he hadn't done it before now either.

 **'It's InuYasha, by the way.'** he typed and sent.

He was feeling very bold today indeed.

 _'What?'_

 **'My name. It's InuYasha.'**

 _'Kagome.'_ Was her simple response.

He smiled. _A Japanese name?_ **'Are you Japanese?'**

It dawned on Kagome, upon reading the message, that he must be Japanese too. A dog hanyou with the name InuYasha would almost have to be. _Huh...small world..._

 _'Yep. You too?'_ she responded.

 **'Japanese parents. I was born here though.'**

Kagome couldn't help but smile. She could care less whether or not he was Japanese, but her mother would like it. She was old school like that…

Kagome shook her head. _There I go again...thinking like I'm going to marry this guy or something…_

 **'So, have you had time to think about it yet?'**

 _'About what?'_

 **'Meeting me.'**

 _'Still thinking.'_ she typed as she stood waiting for the light to change at the crosswalk.

 **'I'll be waiting.'** InuYasha typed and hit send just as his phone began to vibrate in his hand.

It was his mother calling.

He sighed and stared at the screen, contemplating whether or not to answer. It's wasn't that he didn't want to talk to his mom, it was just that he hadn't yet told her about his breakup with Kikyo. It was only a matter of time before she asked about her and he'd be forced to break the news. He was dreading that conversation. It seemed that the only thing he hadn't managed to screw up in his life thus far was landing himself in a relationship with someone that his parents deemed worthy of a member of the Taisho family. It was the one part of his life in which he didn't feel like a dismal failure.

He tapped the green circle and lifted the phone to the side of his face. "Hello?" he answered.

"Hi. What are you up to?" she asked.

"Nothing much, just getting ready to head home from work," he said as he stood from his desk chair and shrugged on his jacket.

"Oh, well I'll only keep you a minute, I was just wondering what you were doing on Easter."

"Easter?" he responded. "Isn't that like two months away?"

"Well, yes, but I know my son... I figured I'd better get to you before you made up an excuse."

"An excuse for what?"

"I was hoping that the whole family could get together this year. Do you think you and Kikyo would be able to make it?"

InuYasha hesitated, trying to think of a convenient and believable lie, but none was forthcoming. "Mom…" he sighed. He might as well bite the bullet and get it over with. "Me and Kikyo broke up."

" _What?!_ " she gasped. "Oh, sweetheart, I'm so sorry! What happened?"

"We just...it just wasn't working out. Hadn't been for a long time."

"Oh…and I was just _sure_ she was the one...I'm never going to have any more grandchildren..." she pouted. "You won't settle down...and Rin's all grown up now...and Lord knows your brother will never get married and have children."

"Mom," InuYasha interrupted her. "Please stop. I really don't feel like talking about this right now."

"Sorry, sweetie," she apologized. "So, do you think you'll be able to make it?" she said, getting back to the original subject.

"I should be able to."

"And you will come to Easter Vigil with me?" she asked hopefully.

"No," he said firmly.

"Oh please, InuYasha," she pleaded. "Rin is going with me, and Miroku always comes. You don't have to receive the Eucharist if you don't want to. I know you don't like to eat anything out of a stranger's hand..."

"I don't care. I'm not going...and Miroku only goes to try and pick up girls."

"No, Miroku goes because he _loves_ his mother...unlike _some_ people," she said pointedly.

"Give it a rest, Mom," he said sternly. He wasn't about to give in. He had sat through enough long, boring church services as a kid to last a lifetime...that and all the strangers trying to give him hugs and touch his hair… He shuttered at the thought.

Mis mother sighed. "Fine, I'll just tell the ladies from my canasta group that Roku is my son."

" _Keh!_ " InuYasha scoffed. "Yeah, 'cause I'm _real_ fucking concerned about what those hags think about me," he said dryly.

"InuYasha Taisho!" she scolded him. "You watch your filthy mouth, young man! I raised you better than that! Don't make me drive into the city right now to wash your mouth out with soap!"

"Sorry," InuYasha apologized sheepishly.

"You see, _this_ is why you need to come to church with me!"

InuYasha refused to engage her anymore on the subject, and his silence ultimately won out.

She let out a sigh. "Just as stubborn as your father...alright, I won't ask again," she conceded.

"I gotta go, Mom. Do me a favor, and don't tell Dad about Kikyo yet."

"Okay, but may I ask why?"

"I'm just not in the mood to get raked over the coals right now," he answered.

She wanted to refute it, but she knew it was the truth. "Okay, I won't say anything yet... Love you."

"Love you, too," InuYasha returned before ending the call and continuing his journey home.


	9. To The Naked Eye

Disclaimer: InuYasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I have nothing.

* * *

 **Phony Digits**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Nine: To The Naked Eye**_

* * *

 _*Ding*_

Sango heard her text tone chime as she sat in her cruiser, waiting for the traffic light to change. She retrieved the phone from her belt clip and read the message. She already knew what it would say, and who it was from.

 **'Monroe's 12:30.'**

Miroku had been sending her similar—and nine times out of ten _identical—_ messages every morning since the first time he'd contacted her over a week ago. A location and time to meet him for lunch. So far, she had not only refused his invitation, she had refused to give him any sort of response at all. This did not seem to discourage him in the least.

"Yo, Renji."

"Hmm?" he acknowledged from his place beside her in the passenger seat.

"How doe's Monroe's sound for lunch today?" she asked him.

He shrugged. "Fine by me."

She would be doing some detective work of her own. She knew exactly what Miroku looked like, while he had never seen her face. She would use this to her advantage.

OOOOOOOOOO

When Sango and Kouga arrived at the diner, Sango parked the car on the street a few blocks away.

Kouga furrowed his brow and looked around, bewildered. "We doing a stake out or something? I thought we were eating lunch."

"We are eating lunch Renji, I'm just...kinda doing my own little personal stake out..." she said as she turned around and grabbed her fleece vest from the back seat. She slipped the vest on over her shoulder holster, zipping it halfway. "Can you see my gun?" she asked her partner, turning side to side.

"No…"

"Good. Okay, I'm going to go in first, and you wait three minutes and come in after me. Get your own table and pretend like you don't know me, okay?"

Kouga looked at her as if she had grown a third head. "It's not anything illegal, is it? I really can't afford to lose this job," he said.

"No _stupid_ , it's just...there's this guy...remember the guy that texted me in the autopsy lab a while back?"

Kouga nodded.

"Well...I'm gonna spy on him," she said matter-of-factly.

"So why can't we eat together then? It's not like he knows who I am…"

"Because, if I go in _alone_ I'll be more approachable."

"Ah. Gotcha," Kouga said, sending her an affirmative nod as she exited the vehicle.

When Sango entered the diner her eyes scanned the room, quickly finding the man she was looking for sitting in a booth by himself. She made her way up to the nineteen-fifties style chrome bar in the center of the room and took the open stool nearest to him. She watched as he unashamedly flirted with the young hostess, then the middle-aged waitress, then the two women who just so happened to be sitting at the table to his left, followed by the woman facing him in the adjacent booth... _Oh boy…_

She figured if she shot enough looks his way she would eventually get his attention, seeing as how _every other_ woman in the room seemed to have caught his attention quite effortlessly. After a couple minutes of hair twirling and subtle peeking from under her bangs, Sango noticed Miroku slide from his booth and head in her direction, bringing his tea along with him. He sat on the stool next to her, tapping his fingers in an indistinct rhythm while scanning the room in a failed attempt to appear nonchalant.

"So...haven't seen you here before," he said casually, "and I'd never forget such a beautiful face."

Sango arched an eyebrow as she turned to look at him. "Is that so?"

"Certainly. You would have never made it under my radar," he said with a smirk.

She rolled her eyes. "How _charming_ …" she said facetiously. "I'm flattered and all, but I'm not sure I want to take a back seat to Ethel over there," she said, nodding in the direction of the matronly waitress that Miroku had previously been flirting with.

"You misunderstand. I'm not interested in those women, I just love seeing their faces light up."

"Oh, I see, so you are just a perfect gentleman, on a mission to bring joy to the hearts of women of all ages? How noble..." she said sarcastically.

He smiled, unfazed by her attitude. "I'm Miroku," he introduced himself, extending his right hand towards her.

"Sango," she said as he accepted his handshake and returned it firmly. When she took hold of his hand she couldn't help but notice how calloused it was. It was almost like touching concrete. It was a feeling that was familiar to her. "You're a brick mason," she said matter-of-factly.

Miroku's eyebrows shot up and Sango knew she had hit the nail on the head. "Well, technically I'm a contractor, but yes. I've been laying brick with my father since I was old enough to lift them. How on earth did you know that?"

"Your hands," she said, grabbing his hand and turning it palm side up to expose the thick, grey, mortar stained callouses. "My grandfather was a brick mason too."

"Huh..." Miroku said. "What are the chances?" he added with a cocky grin. "It seems that it was our destiny to meet."

Sango rolled her eyes. "Our _destiny_?" she said dryly.

"Why, yes," he said, taking her hand and running his rough thumbs along her palm. "Don't tell me you don't believe in fate?"

"Well sure, _maybe_ , but I certainly don't believe that just because you have the same job as my _grandpa_ that we were destined to meet."

"Perhaps not," Miroku said. "But it will certainly be a cute story to tell our grandchildren one day."

Sango snorted and pulled her hand away from his, but otherwise ignored his bold comment. "So, you meeting someone here?" she asked leadingly.

His eyes shot toward the clock. It was just a couple minutes shy of one o'clock. "No," he said simply.

Sango nodded and picked up the menu. "What's good here?" she asked.

"Everything...but order the cheeseburger and you'll be coming back here for lunch everyday...like I do," he said with a grin.

"You eat cheeseburgers for lunch _every day_?" she asked.

"Almost every day." He nodded.

"Wow," she said, looking him up and down. "You must be very blessed in the metabolism department."

"That isn't the only department I'm blessed in," he said cheekily.

"Oh my god…" Sango said rolling her eyes. She had set herself up for that one...

"Umm...do you know that guy?" Miroku said, looking over Sango's shoulder and nodding in Kouga's direction, "because he keeps staring at us..."

Sango shot a stern look over her shoulder at Kouga, who was peeping at them over a newspaper in the most conspicuous way possible. "Never seen _the clown_ before in my life. Probably just some _creeper_ who doesn't know how to keep his eyeballs to him _self_!" she said loudly and pointedly.

Kouga slowly lifted the newspaper higher to cover his eyes and Sango turned back to Miroku.

"So, you say you're a contractor. You stay pretty busy?" Sango asked, changing the topic of conversation to small talk.

"Lately I've been more busy than ever. My biggest competition just up and disappeared off the face of the earth. Rumor has it that his wife was messing around with someone behind his back, and get this, his supposed love rival turned up dead in the back of a pickup truck, under a bridge in Sunset Park. Then, according to his wife, he just suddenly decides to take an _extended vacation_ …" Miroku raised his brows. "Pretty fishy, huh?"

"Yeah…" Sango said. "Fishy." _What the hell…?_ _How is it possible that this gossipy brick mason knows more about my own case than I do…?_

"What was the dead guy's name?" she asked him, trying to confirm her suspicions that the case he was referring to was, in fact, the screwdriver murder. Sounds like she was probably going to owe Renji that fifty bucks...

"I don't really remember...I think it was Tim or Tom or something like that."

 _It was Tam_. It was an easy name for her to remember because it was such a strange name for a man. This was definitely her case...

"And what's the name of the suspect? I mean, your competitor? The guy that flew the coop," she asked.

"His name is G.H. Reyes."

"G.H. Reyes…" Sango repeated. "Yeah... I've seen his signs around construction sites. Don't you think you ought to report this information to the police?" she asked him. Of course, he was _technically_ reporting it to the police right _now_ , but he didn't know that, and she didn't want to blow her cover in order to take his statement 'on the record'. "

"I'm not sure...I mean, it's all second hand information. Could that even be considered credible evidence?" he said.

"Yes, definitely. You really should give this information to the police."

"I actually have a...an acquaintance who is a homicide detective," he said, obviously referring to her.

"Yes, you should definitely tell her... _him_!" she corrected. "You should tell _him_ ," she repeated, trying to cover her slip up. Immediately she regretted it, as the correction sounded even more suspicious than the slip up itself. If it had been just about any other occupation she wouldn't be worried, but since law enforcement was so heavily male dominated, her little assumption might just give her away.

Miroku narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously.

 _Oh shit..._

"Yes...you know what, I think you're right. I should call _him_ right now," he said slowly as he slipped his phone from his pocket.

Sango began to panic. Turning her phone on silent now would be just as obvious as letting it ring. _What to do! What to do!_

He was dialing now. She was out of time.

In a frenzy, Sango pulled her phone from it's holster. "Whoops!" she said as she pretended to fumble her phone with both hands and drop it directly into her glass of water with a plop. "Aww...would you look at that?!" She shrugged theatrically. "Guess I'm gonna have to get a new…"

She was cut off by a loud buzzing. The sound of plastic and glass and ice rattling together violently. The way the glass and water magnified the bright display seemed to mock her. **MIROKU,** it clearly read, just before the screen flashed to black and the buzzing began to weaken.

*BZZZZT BZZZZT BZzzt bzzzzzz…*

With it's last bit of life, it had made a fool of her.

She couldn't bring herself to look at him, but she didn't really need to. Her mind's eye could already see the face he was making. There was a picture of it on the damn phone that had just humiliated her. A cocky smirk.

"So...I take it you _do_ know the creeper then," Miroku said.

Sango let out a loud sigh as she fished her ruined phone from her water, still refusing to make eye contact. "Yes."

"Is he your boyfriend?" he asked.

At this point Sango was seriously considering just saying 'yes', thus saving herself the embarrassment of trying to salvage this new...friendship? Relationship? Whatever it was, but for some reason she didn't want to close the door on it just yet.

There was just something about this guy. He was interesting. Not the type of guy you meet everyday. Before she could answer, the waitress interrupted them. "Are you two ready to order?"

"Yes," Miroku piped up. "I'll have my usual, and my lovely friend here will have another helping of egg on her face."

Sango shot him a hard look. "Hey!" She looked back to the waitress. "Don't listen to him," she said. "I'll have a cheeseburger, no lettuce, no ketchup."

"French fries?" The waitress asked.

"Uhh…yeah, why not?"

"Alright, two cheeseburgers, no ketchup, no lettuce and two orders of french fries. It'll be out in a few minutes," she said as she retrieved their menus and turned away.

"You told her to say that," Sango accused.

"I assure you, Sango, I did not. I come here at least three times a week and place the same order every time. Ask any one of the wait staff here and they will confirm my story."

Sango had no retort. First the brick mason thing, then they screwdriver case, and now identical lunch orders? It was almost a little creepy... _Maybe I should have him pick some lottery numbers or read my palm or something..._ She chuckled to herself.

"Care to enlighten me?" he said at the notice of her quiet laughter.

She shook her head. "It's nothing."

Miroku nodded. "So, you never answered my question."

Sango furrowed her brow in confusion.

"The creeper," he said, nodding toward Kouga.

"Oh!" Sango said. "Right, no, he's my partner."

"I see," Miroku said. "Do you think he would like to join us?"

"No," she shook her head. "We spend too much time together as it is. I'm enjoying a little break from him, to be honest."

Miroku nodded. "That's understandable. My roommate sleeps on the roof sometimes because he says I drive him crazy."

Sango let out a snort of laughter. "I think that says more about _you_ than it says about him." she teased.

"No, I'm the agreeable one, I assure you."

The waitress delivered their food, and they continued to make small talk for several minutes as they ate.

"So let me ask you something," Sango said, turning the conversation more personal. "InuYasha...what kind of a guy is he?"

"He's a good guy. A good guy with a piss-poor attitude," he said candidly.

Sango chuckled.

"But in all seriousness, he really is a great guy. I'll admit he doesn't give off the best first impression, but he has a good heart."

Sango nodded. "Well, that's good to hear, because my friend that's been talking to him is seriously considering meeting him."

"Really?!" Miroku said excitedly. "InuYasha hasn't told me anything about it. He's a pretty reserved person."

"Well, don't say anything to him about it then, but yeah. He asked her to meet him, and I'm pretty sure she's going to say yes... Just between you and me, she's already sort of got a crush on him."

"Hmm...very interesting…" Miroku said, absolutely enthralled in the conversation.

Sango narrowed her eyes at him. "You're a little bit of a gossip whore, aren't you?"

"Me? A gossip whore?" he said in mock-offense, pressing a hand to his chest. "I'm only concerned with the welfare and happiness of my friends, Sango," he defended. "...and speaking of friends…" Miroku nodded towards Kouga, who was standing from his chair and putting on his jacket.

Sango turned to look at him, then at her watch. "Well, I guess that's my cue," she said as she slid from the barstool. "This was...interesting." She pulled some folded cash from her pocket and started to place it on the counter.

"Very interesting indeed," Miroku said as he pushed her hand away. "And lunch is on me. We should do it again sometime."

Sango smirked. "Thanks," she said as she slipped the money back into her pocket. "I'd say I'll call you but…" She lifted her phone in front of her, "phone's trashed...so…" she shrugged.

"That _is_ a pity," Miroku said.

"Well, see you around," Sango said as she turned to leave. "Oh," she turned back to him, "and come down to the ninetieth precinct some afternoon and give a statement on the Reyes case. Ask for Sango Miyahara or Kouga Renji."

"Sango Miyahara," Miroku repeated quietly. "Will do," he said with a grin.

Sango headed out the door. "And do it soon!" she called out over her shoulder just as she slipped out the door.

OOOOOOOOOO

*Click*

InuYasha took yet another picture of himself in the bathroom mirror. He shook his head as he promptly deleted the image on the screen. _I just look like I'm fucking trying too hard_...

The truth of the matter was, that he really _was_ trying too hard. The fact that he'd removed his shirt and done about five hundred pushups and crunches before taking the photos was proof of that.

It had been exactly one week since he asked Kagome to meet him in person. She had continued to text him nearly every day, but hadn't _once_ mentioned the proposition to meet. He was seriously considering sending her a picture of himself, just in case her reluctance to meet him stemmed from the fear that he might look like Godzilla or something...

He laid his phone on the bathroom vanity and proceeded to redress himself. Just as he was pulling his shirt over his head his ears perked up at the sound of his phone vibrating against the countertop.

He quickly snatched up his phone (which was a habit he had picked up quite recently) and opened the message. A smile spread across his face.

It was from Kagome.

It was two simple letters.

 _'OK.'_


	10. Dead Ringer

_**Disclaimer: InuYasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I have nothing.**_

* * *

 **Phony Digits**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Ten: Dead Ringer**_

* * *

' _OK_.' Kagome's text read.

She was finally agreeing to meet with him...wasn't she? _That is what she's talking about, isn't it? Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to make sure..._

 **'Ok to what?'** InuYasha responded.

 _'OK as in Oklahoma, just filling out my NCAA bracket. Thought you'd wanna know.'_

He rolled his eyes. **'Cheeky wench'** he texted back.

She responded with a winking emoji.

 **'Can I call you tonight?'** he asked.

 _'Why? To talk about your final four picks?'_

 **'Stop.'**

 _'If you are less grumpy by then, you may call.'_

 **'Ok.'**

OOOOOOOOOO

"Alright...I did it…" Kagome said nervously. "He said he's going to call me tonight."

"Ooooh, be sure you use a condom," Sango teased.

" _Sango!"_ Kagome scolded, turning her head toward her office door. "We're at work! Someone could hear you!"

"What? I didn't even say anything inappropriate," Sango defended.

"Yes you did! You said _the 'C' word_ ," she whispered the last part.

Sango barked out a laugh before wrapping her arms around Kagome in a tight hug. "Oh Kagome, you are so precious," she said, placing a loud, smacking kiss on her best friend's cheek. "I just love you."

"Do you think he's going to ask me out...like on a date?" Kagome asked.

"Maybe," Sango said with a shrug. "Guess you're gonna find out tonight."

"Find out what tonight?" Came Shippo's voice from the doorway as he bounced into Kagome's office eating a banana.

"Kagome's finally going to meet her mystery guy," Sango answered as she took a seat on the corner of Kagome's desk.

"He's going to call me tonight. Like actual talking with voices," Kagome added.

Shippo raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Wow, Kagome. That's like...what? Second? Third base for you?" he said through stuffed cheeks.

Kagome narrowed her eyes at him. "Yeah, because you're just the dating expert," she said sarcastically.

"Hey! I do okay, I'll have you know!" Shippo argued. "As a matter of fact, I was just talking to the cute blonde at the front desk, and I'm pretty sure she's interested in me. I caught her looking at my name tag."

Kagome snickered as her eyes descended to his pocket. "Are you sure she was looking at your nametag, and not your little wardrobe malfunction?" she asked, pointing to the large, blue ink stain on the pocket where his nametag was clipped.

Shippo grabbed his lab coat under the pocket and lifted it to see the stain. " _Dammit…_ "

Kagome and Sango both giggled. "That's what you get for bullying me."

"I wasn't bullying, I was teasing. There is a difference...Do you think I'll be able to get this stain out?" Shippo asked as he removed the coat.

"Give it here," Kagome said, reaching out to him.

Shippo handed her the lab coat, and she dug around in her desk drawers. "Aha!" she said as she pulled out a little blue bottle of stain remover with a plastic scrubber on the cap. "I'll see what I can do with this… You know, you wouldn't have these problems if you got yourself one of these bad boys," she said, patting her plastic pocket liner.

"I'd rather have blue spots on all my clothes," Shippo said flatly. "Be sure you don't wear that on your date," he added.

"It's not a date!" Kagome said. "In fact, it's nothing. We haven't even made any plans yet."

"But you _want_ it to be a date, right?" he asked.

"Well...I don't know...maybe…"

"Did she tell you he's half dog-youkai?" Sango chimed in.

"No kidding?" Shippo said, raising his brows. "You know what they say about dog-youkai, don't you…?"

Kagome furrowed her brow and shook her head.

"They love to lick," he finished with a smirk.

Sango burst out in laughter and Kagome let out a loud gasp.

" _Shippo!_ " Kagome scolded. "Don't be nasty!"

"What?!" he defended through giggles. "It's the truth. Canine youkai make the best lovers...trust me, I would know," he said, waggling his eyebrows suggestively as he popped the last bite of banana into his mouth and tossed the peel into the trash. "Were the most adventurous of all the youkai," he said through a full mouth.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "You're just trying to scare me," she said as she grabbed his lab coat and headed for the door.

"What's scary about that?" Shippo asked.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Just drop it. I gotta get this to a sink," she huffed, lifting the stained coat. "I'll talk to you _deviants_ later."

As soon as Kagome exited the office Sango and Shippo shot each other a look.

"She needs to get laid so bad," Sango said before pushing herself off the desk and heading for the door.

"Tell me about it," Shippo agreed.

"...and so do you," she added before exiting and leaving a sputtering fox youkai in her wake.

OOOOOOOOOO

InuYasha made his way up the stairwell to the roof of his building. It was cold, but he would gladly brave the freezing temperatures to ensure that Miroku couldn't eavesdrop or try to embarrass him.

He was starting to regret telling Kagome that he would call her. He hated making phone calls. It was so awkward. He never knew how to start a conversation when he couldn't see a person's face, and uncomfortable silences seemed to be magnified tenfold. At least with texting he had plenty of time to think over what he was going to say next.

It was now after nine o'clock. He had put it off for as long a he could. When he arrived at the roof access door he noticed it was already propped open using the "smoker's brick" as everyone in the building referred to it. Sure enough, when he exited the door he was met with a huddled, shivering pack of humans, getting their nightly dose of nicotine.

He walked past them to a more secluded area of the roof, removed his phone from his pocket and dialed Kagome's number.

The phone rang three times before she answered. "Hello?"

"Hi, Kagome?" he addressed.

"Hi!" she chirped.

"Hi," he said again, followed by several seconds of awkward silence.

 _Oh god…_

"I was beginning to think maybe you fell asleep," she said, finally breaking the silence.

"Oh, sorry about that, I was just…" _Putting it off because I was nervous._ "Umm...at the... I had to work late," he said. It was a lie, of course, but it sounded a lot better than the truth. That he was a big wuss who was afraid of calling a girl.

"Did you do anything interesting today?"

"It was someone's birthday. There was cake at lunch, but I didn't eat any of it. That's pretty much as excited as things get at my job," he said flatly. "What about you?"

"Well," she started. "I examined a gunshot victim...he had an exit wound the size of a baseball..."

"Wow...uh...is he gonna be alright?" InuYasha asked.

"No, he's dead," she answered matter-of-factly. "Died instantly..."

"Oh…"

There was another uncomfortable lull in the conversation.

"I'm sorry, that was totally morbid," Kagome apologized. "Most of my friends are my coworkers, so I sometimes forget what's appropriate to talk about."

"Oh, no, it didn't bother me. Sorry, I'm just not very good at phone conversations."

"How about we do like an icebreaker thing then?" she suggested.

"Icebreaker?"

"Yeah, you know, like the questions and games people do to get to know each other."

"I know what icebreakers are, Kagome." InuYasha said flatly.

"If you know, then why did you say ' _ice_ breaker _?_ ' Like you'd never heard the word before in your life?" she said, doing an exaggerated imitation of him.

"I wasn't saying it like I didn't know what it was, I was saying it like I thought it was stupid."

" _Ah!_ " Kagome gave an indignant squeak. "Fine! Forget it then, you jerk!"

"No, no, I'll do it," he said through a grin as he stifled the urge to laugh. "What's the game?"

"Umm…let's see…" Kagome said as she thought. "Okay, you say one thing about yourself that's true, and one thing that's a lie and I'll try to guess which is true."

"Okay, give me a second to think…" he said as he pondered for several seconds. "Alright, I keep a bag of cat food in the trunk of my car to feed strays, _or_ I once fought a bear with my bare hands."

Kagome snorted. "One of those is actually true?" she said giggling.

"Yes," he answered. "Now which one?"

"Umm...the bear one," she said, surprised at how quickly she answered.

"Very good!" InuYasha congratulated her. "I thought for sure you'd pick the cat thing."

"So you really fought a _bear_?"

"Yes, but that's a story for another day. Now it's your turn."

"Wait, first tell me how you came up with the stray cat thing."

"Miroku does it."

Kagome giggled. "That's adorable."

"Trust me, he's about the _least_ adorable person on planet Earth. When I was a little kid he used to hold me down and fart on my face."

"Eww!" Kagome said through giggles. "And I thought my brother was bad!"

"What did your brother do?"

"Oh, just the usual little brother stuff. Put bugs in my hair, hold me under the water at the pool, download porn on my computer…"

"Your brother downloaded porn when you were kids?" InuYasha asked.

"Oh, no, that was just like two weeks ago."

InuYasha chuckled.

"Okay, let's get back to the game," Kagome said. "Umm...my first job was at a bowling alley , _or_ I'm deathly afraid of spiders."

"Hmm…" InuYasha hummed as he contemplated his answer. "Well, let's see...a lot of people are afraid of spiders...but I doubt someone who looks death in the face everyday would be, so I'm going to say you actually worked at a bowling alley."

"That's right!" Kagome affirmed.

The game went on for several more rounds, with Kagome ultimately winning five to three. Not that anyone was keeping score...

"This is by far the longest phone conversation I've ever had," InuYasha said, looking at his watch and seeing the time was nine fifty-seven.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to keep you so long," Kagome apologized. "You should have said something."

"No, I wasn't complaining or anything, just stating a fact. I've actually really enjoyed talking to you," he said honestly.

"I've enjoyed talking to you too."

"Listen, um...I was thinking maybe we could get coffee or something sometime," InuYasha said, finally getting around to the purpose of his call after almost an hour.

"That's sounds great! There's a really good coffee place near my work...that is, if you didn't have anywhere else in mind," Kagome said.

"No, that sounds perfect."

"Okay, great! I'll text you the address."

"Okay...well...umm...I guess I'll see you there then."

"Wait...you didn't say when."

"Oh, right...uh, how about Saturday?"

"Do you mean tomorrow or _next_ Saturday?" Kagome asked.

"Uhh…" InuYasha stopped to think, he forgot it was already Friday.

"Did you forget what day it is?" she asked.

"Yeah, kind of…" InuYasha said sheepishly.

Kagome couldn't help but giggle.

"So, yeah, I guess I meant tomorrow...if that works for you."

"Sure!" Kagome chirped, before quickly clearing her throat. "I mean, yeah, sure, I think I'm free tomorrow," she said in a more casual tone, trying not to sound too enthusiastic.

"Okay, how about I meet you there at three-thirty then?"

"Three-thirty sounds good...umm...how will you recognize me?" she asked.

"I'll text you when I get there."

"Okay. Sounds great. Guess I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Okay. Have a good night," InuYasha said.

"You too. Bye."

"Bye." he said before ending the call.

OOOOOOOOOO

 _ **"Stand clear of the closing doors, please."**_

InuYasha looked up and down the train car. There were several seats open, but he didn't really want to sit. Sitting when he was nervous just made him feel even more nervous.

The train slowly began moving forward as the next stop was announced over the loudspeaker. InuYasha tried to focus most of his energy on _not_ sweating through his shirt. Thus far, he had been somewhat unsuccessful in that endeavor. He considered just removing the shirt for the remainder of the trip to keep it dry. It wouldn't be the strangest thing most of these people have seen on the subway.

When the announcement finally called his destination as the next stop, he began giving himself silent pep talks to try and psyche himself up. _Why the hell am I so nervous? There's no reason to be nervous. This is stupid… She either likes me, or she doesn't. What does it matter? If she doesn't, then that's her problem! Who needs her anyway?! What the hell makes her think she's so much better?!_

Okay. So maybe it was less like a pep talk, and more like a pseudo-psychotic tirade. At any rate, preparing himself for the worst _did_ seem to make him feel a little calmer, that is, until the train lurched to a stop in the middle of the dark tunnel.

 _Shit…_ InuYasha looked at his watch. 3:22. There is no way he was going to make in on time.

 _ **"Ladies and gentlemen, we apologize for the unavoidable delay."**_

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure you're just heartbroken." InuYasha grumbled back to the recording. He pulled his phone to text Kagome that he would be a little late, then remembered that his phone couldn't send a text from underground. He just hoped that she wasn't the type of person that would storm out if he was even a minute late; but now that he thought about it, if she were that type of person he wouldn't really be interested in her anyway.

To his relief, the train began moving again after only about five minutes. When they arrived at his stop, he made a quick exit and raced up the stairs, pulling out his phone to text Kagome.

 **'Be there in 2 min. What are you wearing?'** He sent, then realized it sounded sort of creepy. **'So I can find you.'** he added.

 _'Grey sweater and black jeans.'_

He read the text and slipped his phone back into his jacket pocket.

As soon as he entered the cafe his eyes began scanning the room, and his heart sank when they caught sight of a familiar face. _Oh, just fucking great... What the hell is_ she _doing here of all places?_ He thought as his eyes caught a glimpse of who he believed to be his ex-girlfriend. _Maybe she won't see me._..

He tried his best to sneak his way past her, towards the back of the room, keeping watch on her from the corner of his eye. Just as he was almost around the corner and in the clear her face lifted, and her eyes caught his...

and she _wasn't_ Kikyo…


	11. The Tail Wagging the Dog

Disclaimer: InuYasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I have nothing.

* * *

 **Phony Digits**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Eleven: The Tail Wagging the Dog**_

* * *

The Kikyo look-alike lifted her hand and tentatively waved her fingers at InuYasha. His eyes did a quick scan of her body. She was wearing a grey sweater and black jeans. His heart plummeted to his stomach. _Oh no... No. No. No. No. No..._

 _This_ was Kagome? Was the universe playing some cruel joke on him?

When he imagined how this meeting would unfold, he'd thought that he had played out every possible scenario in his mind; but not once had he entertained the idea that she could be his ex-girlfriend's perfect doppelganger. What were the chances? One in a million? One in _ten_ million? No. The likelihood was far less than that. He deduced that this was more than likely the first time any such thing had ever happened since the beginning of time. The odds were incalculable.

It couldn't be a good sign...

He lifted a hand and waved back, slowly beginning to make his way toward her table. He only hoped his thoughts weren't showing on his face.

"InuYasha?" she asked as she stood from her chair.

He thought about saying no, telling her she must be mistaken and high-tailing it out of there without looking back.

But she looked so happy...and he _wanted_ her to be happy. He nodded.

"Um...hi," she said smiling.

"Hi," he greeted back, hesitantly returning her smile.

Now that he was seeing her up close, he could see a few more subtle differences. Her eyes were different from Kikyo's. They were bigger and brighter. She was also shorter, and her build was slightly smaller, softer, more feminine... She was a little younger too, and now that he was close enough to smell it, her scent was _entirely_ different. Kikyo's scent was like a clear autumn morning; like a light frost on freshly fallen leaves. Kagome scent was like and orange grove in springtime; straight rows and white blossoms, and the steady droning hum of a million honey bees...

But she looked so much like Kikyo it was unnerving.

"It's good to finally meet you," Kagome said as she tip-toed up to wrap her arms around his shoulders in a friendly hug which he returned with a pat on the back.

"Uh, yeah, same…" InuYasha said awkwardly, mentally kicking himself all the while.

The first thought that entered Kagome's mind when she spotted InuYasha from across the room was _'God, I hope that's him'_. He was handsome, and he was obviously hanyou, judging by furry white canine ears that sat atop his head...and he was looking right at her…

She lifted a hand and waved at him; he waved back and started toward her. When he arrived at her table she greeted him with a hug. She momentarily worried that it might be too forward of her, but her fears were relieved when she felt his arms wrapping around her in return. Her heart felt like it skipped a beat and her stomach filled with butterflies. She hadn't had that feeling before. It felt silly. Maybe it was what love at first sight felt like. She had never really believed in such a thing before, but this situation was somewhat different. She already knew him before seeing him, so it seemed perfectly reasonable that she may have fallen in love with him already, and seeing him here all beautiful and snoutless had sealed the deal.

But now she was beginning to feel disheartened…

He wasn't being very friendly at all. Far less sociable than she had expected him to be based on their phone conversation. He seemed uncomfortable...disappointed even…

She couldn't stand the silence any longer. "So, did you find the place okay?" she asked as she reclaimed her seat.

"Yeah," he nodded as he took a seat across from her at the small table.

"Good. Umm...I come here all the time. My friend Sango and I…my cop friend, we come here every morning. Well, except Sundays. I have breakfast with my family on Sunday mornings. Anyway, this place has the best coffee. They roast their own beans..." she rattled on. She knew she was rambling, but it was certainly more comfortable than meeting his silence with more silence.

InuYasha knew he was being rude and he needed to say something, but his mind was still reeling in shock over her resemblance to Kikyo. He wasn't sure whether or not he was going to be able to look past it. "How do you take your coffee?" he said suddenly, standing up from the table. He just needed to step away for a moment to regroup.

"Black," she said simply.

InuYasha nodded before turning and heading up to the counter. As he ordered their coffee and brought it back to the table, he secretly wished she would have asked for a drink that took longer to prepare. Maybe he should have ordered some fancy girly drink for himself...

"There ya go," he said as he said the mug down before her, and she thanked him.

He lifted his cup to his lips and took a slurping sip of the piping hot liquid before commenting, "This _is_ good coffee."

Of course, it didn't really matter whether or not the coffee was good; he doubted he'd ever be coming back to this place again after today.

"Isn't it, though?" Kagome said. "The guy who roasts the coffee here is like a mad scientist. Like seriously, he looks like the guy from _Back to the Future_. I don't really care what he looks like though, as long as he keeps making coffee like this," she chuckled as she brought the cup to her lips.

"I'm not really a great judge of coffee. I just drink whatever Miroku makes. It's never very good," InuYasha said.

Kagome giggled.

More awkward silence ensued.

"I like your shirt," Kagome said in a desperate attempt to make conversation.

InuYasha looked down at his shirt. He didn't even remember what shirt he was wearing. A sweaty one, no doubt. "Thanks," he said.

"Purple is my favorite color."

At that, InuYasha's head shot up. "Purple?" he said, cocking his head slightly to the side. "This shirt is _blue_."

It was most definitely _not_ blue.

"InuYasha...I hate to be the one to break it to you, but that shirt is purple."

"Uh, yeah, _o-kay_ ," he said facetiously. "Whatever you say…"

Kagome turned to the couple sitting at the table next to them. "Excuse me," she said, getting their attention. "What color is his shirt?" she asked them, pointing to InuYasha.

"Purple," they immediately responded in unison.

Kagome thanked them and turned back to a deflated InuYasha. "You're colorblind."

"Oh, _very funny_. So because I'm a _dog_ hanyou you think I'm colorblind."

"No, I think you're colorblind because you obviously _are_ ," she said, chuckling lightly.

" _Keh!_ " he scoffed, crossing his arms.

"I can't believe no one has ever told you before now…How old are you anyway?" she blurted out. "I mean, if you don't mind me asking…" she added, visibly cringing. "Sorry...that was rude..."

"No, it's okay," he said. "I'm twenty-nine."

Kagome nodded in acknowledgement.

Not about to let the opportunity pass, InuYasha returned the question. "I know they say you aren't supposed to ask a woman, but since you asked me first, how old are you?"

"Twenty-three," she answered.

His eyebrows rose. He thought she looked young, but figured she was older than she looked, given her occupation. "Wow. You really have your act together for a twenty-three-year-old. I was still living with my parents when I was twenty-three," he said, taking a sip of his coffee.

" _Well..._ " she said shyly, sliding her finger around the rim of her coffee mug.

"Oh," he chuckled. "You still live with your parents?"

"Eh...Yeah…with my mom." she said, seeming somewhat embarrassed. "I've been thinking about moving out...you know...but I just haven't gotten around to it I guess."

"There's nothing wrong with not wanting to live alone. I've lived alone before and I hated it," he said. "So are your parents divorced or…"

"My dad died when I was fifteen."

"Oh...sorry," he apologized.

"It's fine," she waved him off. "It was a long time ago."

"How did it happen?" InuYasha asked, "If you don't mind me asking."

"He was shot during a mugging on his way home from work one night. There was never even an arrest made in the case."

"Wow...so is that why you got into ballistics?" he asked.

Kagome nodded. "Cliché, right?" she chuckled.

"No. It's admirable. I think it says a lot about your character," he said.

InuYasha began to relax, and they continued to make small talk, but despite the fact that she was pretty, and sweet, and fun to talk to, he just could _not_ stop focusing on her resemblance to his ex-girlfriend. They looked so similar, he was having trouble separating the two women in his mind. For the first time since their breakup, he found himself thinking about Kikyo, wondering how she was doing, being plagued with feelings of guilt over the way things had ended between them.

He still couldn't help but think this was a bad sign. Maybe he was reading too much into it.

When Kagome could feel the conversation winding down she began to fidget nervously. She knew this was the moment of truth. He would either express interest in seeing her again, or he would reject her...and she really, really liked him, despite their somewhat disappointing 'date'.

"I had fun...umm...we should do this again sometime," she said leadingly.

"Yeah. I had fun too..." InuYasha said hesitantly. "Uh...listen, Kik-Kagome," he quickly corrected. "I just got out of a... sort of a long term relationship..."

"Oh…" she deflated. "I see." She knew rejection when she saw it. This was a _classic_ 'easy letdown'.

"Yeah," he raised a hand to rub the back of his neck. "Umm...I guess I thought I was ready to move on, but…"

She held up a hand to silence him. "I understand," she cut him off abruptly without meeting his eyes. She had been talking to him for over a month. She knew that all this bullshit about not being ready was just his attempt to spare her feelings.

Maybe this was karma. Maybe the kami were punishing her for leading on all those hopeful guys with a fake phone number. _Or maybe he's just been messing with me all this time… No, that's stupid. No one would go to these lengths just to mess with a person. We got along fine over the phone, he just...doesn't like what he sees I guess…_ She tugged at the hem of her sweater, suddenly feeling very exposed. She knew she shouldn't have gotten her hopes up so high.

"So...would it be okay if we just stayed friends?" he asked, breaking her from her musings.

"Uhh...sure," she answered automatically before giving a long pause, her eyes remaining fixed on the table. "I mean...no... You know what? _No_." She shook her head vigorously, less like a negative response, and more like she was trying to shake it free of something. She lifted her head to look him in the eyes. "To tell you the truth, InuYasha, I think I already have all the friends I need...but thanks for the generous offer," she spat out, her demeanor changing abruptly.

InuYasha simply sat there speechless, gaping in response to her sudden mood swing.

"Well, I gotta run!" she chirped, in a tone of sudden, downright unsettling, false cheeriness. She slapped both hands palm-down onto the table, scooted her chair back and stood; the legs of the chair scraping loudly across the floor, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. "Thanks for the coffee," she said as she snatched up her jacket and purse, before turning and stomping toward the door.

InuYasha stood from his chair, contemplating going after her, but not sure what he would say, or what good it would do if he did.

After a few steps, Kagome stopped and shook her head yet again. "Actually, on second thought…" she called back to him as she reached into her purse and pulled out her wallet, removing a five dollar bill. She casually strode back to InuYasha, folded the bill and slipped the money into his breast pocket, giving it a firm pat. "Thanks for nothing," she said coldly, looking him dead in the eyes. She spun around and quickly marched out without another word. She would probably cry when she got home, but she sure as hell wasn't going to do it in front of him.

InuYasha stood watching as she whipped around and exited the coffee shop with her head held high, bells jingling loudly as the old wooden door slammed closed with a sharp crack. He knew she was hurt, but she was stubborn, and she was damn tough...

And he was suddenly overwhelmed with the sinking feeling that he had made a huge mistake.


	12. The Peanut Gallery

Disclaimer: InuYasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I have nothing.

* * *

 **Phony Digits**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Twelve: The Peanut Gallery**_

* * *

"...then I looked him right in the eyes and said, ' _Thanks for nothing_ ', and turned around and walked out."

"You're kidding?! Kagome, that's amazing," Sango said, giving her friend a congratulatory slap on the back. "I'm so damn proud of you, Grasshopper!"

Rather than going home and wallowing in self-pity, Kagome had opted to go to Sango's apartment to wallow in self-pity instead.

"I don't feel amazing, though," the jilted girl said. "I feel...what's the opposite of amazing?"

"Shitty?" Sango provided.

"Yeah...that's it, shitty," Kagome said, slumping her shoulders dejectedly. "That's what I feel…"

"Well, you shouldn't," Sango tried to encourage her. "The guy is _obviously_ an asshole. I haven't even seen him, but I can tell you there is _no way_ he could do better than you, Kagome. You're the cream of the crop."

"I appreciate what you're trying to do Sango, but I don't need you to try and cheer me up...besides, he totally _could_ do better...he's completely _gorgeous_..." Kagome said with a sigh as she fell back onto the couch, staring at the ceiling.

"Didn't you say he has dog ears, though?" Sango said, crinkling her nose.

Kagome's head shot up to glare daggers at her friend. "And just what the hell is wrong with _that_?" she asked defensively.

Sango shrugged. "I didn't say there was anything wrong with it."

"Yeah, but you were implying it," Kagome scolded.

Sango raised her hands in surrender. "Jeez...okay...to each his own…" she placated. "Don't get your panties in a bunch."

"If I end up marrying a guy with dog ears one day, you are going to feel really bad that you said that."

Sango raised her brows and gave her friend a somewhat incredulous look. "Is that your thing now?"

Kagome slowly lowered her head back down and closed her eyes. "No...it's just...you don't understand Sango...I...the way I felt about him...You _know_ me. You know I'm not just some boy crazy girl who falls head over heels for every guy I meet, in fact, I've _never_ been in love before…" she gave another sigh. "I knew I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up...it's just...after I talked to him on the phone I really thought we hit it off… I thought this could really turn out to be...I don't know... _something_ … Then the second he saw me it was like…" She paused and shook her head. "I don't know. It was just like I was the biggest disappointment he'd ever seen...and I'm pretty sure he almost called me another girl's name, too."

Sango hissed through her teeth. "Ouch... _really_?" she asked, disbelieving.

"Yeah...really…"

"God, what an asshole…"

"Yeah...and he had the nerve to ask me if I wanted to be his _friend_ after that."

Sango let out a snort. She couldn't wait to ask Miroku about this. _...Shit...maybe I'm as much of a gossip whore as he is..._

"You know what you need?" Sango said, slapping her hand on Kagome's shins where they lay draped across her lap.

"Ice cream?" Kagome supplied.

"Well, that wasn't what I was going to say, but now that you mention it, that does sound pretty good…"

"What were you going to say?"

"I was going to suggest we go out to some dive bar and give InuYasha's phone number out to every guy in the place."

At that, Kagome let out a giggle. "As appealing as that sounds right now, I think maybe I'd better just stick to the ice cream...I'm less likely to regret that in the morning."

"If you don't regret it in the morning, then you didn't eat enough of it." Sango said as she stood from the sofa and headed for the freezer.

OOOOOOOOOO

She was just some random girl. There were billions of them. Millions in this one city alone. There was nothing different about her. Nothing special. Just another girl...

InuYasha checked his phone again. Nothing. He sighed.

In the several days that had passed since meeting Kagome, InuYasha had been able to think of nothing but her. At first it was only guilt and regret that filled his mind, but the more time passed the more intense his feelings became. Feelings of longing, loneliness, self-loathing...just to name a few.

Why did he always do this? It was a question he'd been asking himself for as long as he could remember. In elementary school it was Becky Drexler. She put gum in his hair and his mother had to cut it out. That was the only interaction he had with that particular girl, yet it didn't prevent him from becoming completely and utterly infatuated with her from grades three to five.

In middle school it was 'Cross-country Girl'. That's what he called her, anyway. She went to a rival school, and he never actually knew her real name; although he imagined it was something like Nike, or Artemis, or Aphrodite because she was a goddess. Well, at least in thirteen-year-old InuYasha's eyes she was. " _Your shoelace is untied_ ," her voice rang like a sweet melody in his ears. She was so concerned about his safety and well-being…

In highschool it was Whitney Fitzpatrick. She wasn't very pretty, but she was smart. His biology teacher had paired them up as lab partners. At first he was excited about being paired with someone so brainy, and biology was his worst subject; but the more he got to know her, the more he found himself getting excited for other reasons entirely. Looking back, she probably had a crush on him too, but he never told her he liked her and she ended up going to a college out of state and they never spoke again.

In college it was Maria Souza. He actually dated her for a while near the end of his sophomore year. She was his first kiss. They broke up when she left to study abroad her junior year. When she returned, she had a new haircut and a new boyfriend.

Then he met Kikyo, and he really liked her, and then he loved her, and then she loved him, and for a while he thought she was the perfect woman. She wasn't though. Not for him. Maybe for _someone_ , but not him, and his feelings for her eventually ebbed too.

And then he met Kagome…

He sighed again.

Miroku used to tell him that he "fell in love too easily".

Well, he knew _that_ wasn't true. He was never in _love_ with most of these women. He liked them, and he thought about them every waking moment, and he wanted nothing more than to see their faces and hear their voices and make them smile...but he wasn't _in love_ with them… _no way_...

He knew the second he caught Kagome's scent and saw her smile that she was probably going to be another Becky, or Whitney, or Maria. Those feelings that he hadn't felt in so long had hit him like a ton of bricks and he fought them; he fought them because he couldn't bear the thought of reliving the situation with Kikyo. Another woman strung along and ultimately left disappointed. He thought maybe he should just take a vow of celibacy, become a priest or something… His mother would probably love that...at least that would be one less woman that was disappointed in him. He knew it wasn't healthy for him to fall for every girl that paid any attention to him, but he had never been particularly popular or outgoing. He wasn't like Miroku.

Speaking of Miroku...

"So, I can't help but notice your phone has been uncharacteristically silent lately," Miroku said as he entered the room, breaking InuYasha from his musings. "Everything okay in the strictly-flirting-text-based-relationship department?"

InuYasha shook his head in the negative. "It's over," he said flatly. "We met, and...we just didn't hit it off..."

Miroku's eyebrows practically shot up off of his head. "Wait...hold on a second...you say you _met_ her?! You met her and you didn't _tell me_?"

"If you'd have known you'd have made a big deal out of it, and I didn't feel like dealing with you."

"Oh...well, fair enough I guess…" he said with a shrug. "So, what did you do?"

"We had coffee."

"No, what I meant was, what did _you_ do? As in, what, specifically, did _your_ ass do to screw it up?"

"Why do you always assume that _I'm_ the one who screws things up?"

"Because you always screw things up InuYasha, you're an idiot."

Several seconds of silence passed as InuYasha tried to think of a clever comeback.

" _You're_ the idiot, and for your information, _I_ didn't do anything. She looked _exactly_ like Kikyo. I mean, they could almost be identical twins."

"Oh, the nerve of her! How dare she?!" Miroku said facetiously.

"It's fucked up, Miroku! You wouldn't understand what it's like because you've never dated the same girl for longer than a month... It's a bad omen..."

"So what you're telling me here is, the two of you get along great, you like her, she likes you, she has a great personality, and she's a _solid_ _ten_ ;" he counted off each point on his fingers, "but she looks like your ex so you blew her off because you think it's a _bad omen_ …?"

"You're just saying it like that to make me look stupid," InuYasha grumped.

"Trust me, you need no assistance looking stupid my friend."

" _Keh!_ Well, it's for the best anyway. When I told her I just wanted to be friends she flipped out on me. Told me she 'had enough friends already'. Probably would have turned out to be a drama queen..."

Miroku let out an exasperated sigh as he took a seat on the sofa next to his roommate and crossed his arms over his chest. "So, let me get this straight, you make it clear you are interested in her, then, when you meet her in person you tell her you just want to be friends? Isn't it obvious? InuYasha, she thought you were rejecting her based on her looks. She thought you found her unattractive."

"No way." InuYasha said shaking his head. "There is no _way_ a girl that looks like _that_ could be so insecure."

"What else could she have thought? You can't possibly think that she assumed the truth. It's too far-fetched. Wouldn't you have thought the same if the tables were turned?"

InuYasha let out a long and loud sigh, leaning his elbows on his knees and dropping his face into his hands. " _Yes_...okay? Yes. I know I messed up. Are you happy now?" he mumbled against his palms.

"Not especially," Miroku answered.

"I just didn't want to deal with another Kikyo situation."

"And did this girl…"

"Kagome," InuYasha supplied, interrupting his roommate.

"And did _Kagome_ do or say something that led you to the conclusion that this would be another 'Kikyo' situation…? Or did you judge her based solely on her appearance?"

"She didn't do anything," InuYasha said dejectedly. "I told you, I _know_ I fucked up. Can you just drop it?"

"No, I can't drop it. I want to know what you are going to do to fix it."

"I ain't gonna do _anything_ to fix it."

"Oh, that's right. I almost forgot, your technique is to pine over a girl for years without saying anything until they eventually find someone else," Miroku said sarcastically.

"That's not my technique, it's my curse."

"Don't kid yourself, InuYasha. It's a choice, not a curse. You're just making excuses."

"Well, excuses or not, it's done."

"So...that makes her fair game, then?" Miroku asked.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" InuYasha snapped.

"I mean, _you_ obviously don't have any claim on her...so…"

InuYasha was actually growling at this point and Miroku was finding it painfully difficult to keep a straight face. It was so easy to tease him. Like shooting fish in a barrel. Maybe it wasn't very sporting of him to keep going, but...

"...She is free to date whoever she wants, be it a mysterious stranger...or one of the police officers she works with everyday...or perhaps she will meet a devilishly handsome contractor with a heart of gold…"

" _Keh!_ " InuYasha scoffed. "Do you think I don't know what you're trying to do?"

Miroku just gave a slight shrug. "Be that as it may, you know she's a catch. Just think about how many guys you've blown off for her over the years. It makes you wonder, if she rejects that many, how many does she actually go out with...she could be with one of them right now."

InuYasha's scowl softened to a look of defeat. "Well, what she's doing is no business of mine," he said as he stood abruptly and stomped off to his room.

"It could be," Miroku called back, but he was answered only by the sound of a slamming door.

OOOOOOOOOO

"What's this?" Sango asked as she and Renji entered their office and she eyed a small box sitting on her desk surrounded by shredded gift wrap.

"Someone dropped it off for you yesterday afternoon after you'd left for the day," Renji said.

"Why is it _open_?"

"For your own personal safety. I had to check to be sure it wasn't a bomb or anything."

"Right...because of all the assassination attempts…" she said wryly. "And you had to open the card too?" she asked as she lifted a torn envelope from the box.

Renji shrugged. "Anthrax?"

"Couldn't you have just sniffed it?"

"I'm not a dog, Miyahara!" he said, feigning offense.

" _Right_ ," Sango drawled as she rolled her eyes. " _Just a nosey bastard_ ," she mumbled under her breath as she pulled the card from the envelope and began to read.

 _ **Lovely Sango,**_

 _ **A token of gratitude for allowing me the great honor of being graced with your presence.**_

 _ **Yours truly,**_

 _ **Miroku**_

Sango couldn't help but chuckle as she slipped the cheesy note back into the envelope. "And you say he dropped this off in person?" she asked.

"Yeah, he came in to give that statement on the Reyes case. He asked for you but, since you weren't here I took it. I've been doing some research and so far everything he told me has checked out," Renji said as he plopped down in his desk chair and spun around to face her. "Well, aren't you going to see what his 'token of gratitude' is?" he asked, nodding toward the box with a smirk on his face.

"Oh, right," Sango said as she lifted the lid, removed the bubble wrap and retrieved another, tinier box, which, if the picture on the top was any indication, contained a very shiny and _expensive_ new phone.

" _What?_ " Sango gasped as she looked at the box. "I...I can't accept this...can I?"

Renji shrugged. "Depends...what did he mean by 'gracing him with your presence'?"

Sango picked up an ink pen and launched it at his head, hitting him directly in the center of his forehead. "Oh shut it, Renji! The only time I've seen him was that day at the diner."

"Well, then it's not illegal or anything..."

"I know that, stupid. I wasn't asking if it was _legal,_ I was just asking if it was okay to accept a gift like this from a stranger...I mean, this is like, an _eight hundred_ dollar phone."

"Yeah, but didn't he ruin yours?"

"No, I ruined mine...it _was_ his fault though…" she said as she eyed the box, her fingers practically itching to break the shrink wrap seal. "But a man who gives gifts like this expects something, right? Yes…that's right..." she reasoned with herself. "I can't accept it...but…" She turned the box over in her hands and ran her thumbnail along the seam. "I do need a new phone," she said as she sat down in her chair and placed the box on her desk in front of her. "I mean, I could just _buy_ this one off of him…"

Renji watched her silently as she stewed in her inner turmoil.

"I hadn't really planned on spending this much on a phone…" She lifted the box again, inspecting the image. "But, it was kinda his fault that I ruined mine…maybe we can go halfsies…"

"Now you're getting somewhere," Renji said chuckling.

"What would you do if you were me?"

"Me? I'd probably blow him and see if I could get a new laptop," he answered, barely containing his mirth.

Sango rolled her eyes. "I don't know why I even asked you."

"What?" he said, smiling smugly as he crossed his arms behind his head and leaned back in his chair. "I could use a new laptop."

"You know what...I'm keeping this!" she said finally, tearing into the plastic as she spoke. "I'll just pay him back and regret it later."

"Atta girl," Renji said.

"You are such a bad influence, Renj." she said as she powered up the device.


	13. All Bark and No Bite

Disclaimer: InuYasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I have nothing.

* * *

 **Phony Digits**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Thirteen: All Bark and No Bite**_

* * *

Sango stood on the sidewalk, looking from the GPS map streetview on her phone, up to the red brick apartment building in front of her. This was definitely the place, at least, if the address Miroku gave Kouga was accurate. She climbed the stoop up to the doors and pulled on the handle. Locked. Of course. Turning to the row of buzzers beside the door, she pushed the button labeled '4C'.

" _Yeah_ ," a gruff voice answered over the intercom.

"Yes, is this Miroku Ueda's apartment?" Sango asked.

" _Yeah_."

This was InuYasha, no doubt. _How charming..._

"Umm...well...can you tell him Sango Miyahara is here to see him?"

" _He ain't here_."

She rolled her eyes at no one. "Do you know when he'll be back?"

" _No._ "

 _...what could Kagome possibly see in this guy…?_

"Okay well, thanks, I guess…" she grumbled through the speaker. She liked having the element of surprise, but it looked like she was going to have to call Miroku. She didn't come all the way out to his neighborhood just to go home without even getting to speak with him. Removing her phone from her pocket, she dialed his number.

" _Hello?_ " he answered in an all-too-chipper voice.

"Hi, Miroku? This is Sango."

" _Ah! And to what do I owe the pleasure?_ "

"Well, actually, I'm standing in front of your apartment building right now. I was coming to talk to you about your little _gift_ …"

" _Are you stalking me, Sango?_ " he teased.

" _Ha-Ha, very funny_ ," she said facetiously. "I was just coming to pay you back for the phone, and your jackass roommate is being a _jackass_."

" _Ah yes, I apologize for him. He wasn't properly socialized as a puppy_."

Sango let out a snort of laughter. "Well, will you be home any time soon or do you think I should just come back some other time? It's damn cold out here."

" _I'll be home very soon, in the meantime, use the code one-seven-six-zero-five to get into the building, and just knock on the door. InuYasha will let you in_."

"Okay, great. Thanks. This should be fun," she said facetiously.

" _Yes, I'm sorry I'm going to miss it_."

"Okay, well, I'm going in."

" _Good luck_."

"Thanks," she said chuckling, before disconnecting the call and punching the entry code into the keypad. She felt relatively calm as she entered the building, climbed the stairs, and knocked on the door; but the second she saw the smug bastard's face, everything that Kagome had told her flooded her mind and she was suddenly overflowing with righteous indignation.

"You got _some nerve_ , you know that?" she scolded the hanyou as she pushed her way into the apartment.

"Uhh... _excuse me_?" InuYasha said as he backed away from her, his eyes shifting from side to side.

" _You_ heard me!"

" _I_ have some nerve?" he said, pressing a hand to his chest. "I'm not the one barging into a stranger's apartment and _yelling_ at them."

"No, _you're_ just the one leading on innocent young girls and crushing their hearts!"

" _Innocent young girls? Crushing their hearts_ …?" he repeated, furrowing his brow. "Look lady, I don't know what your fucking problem is, but I strongly recommend you start minding your-"

" _My_ problem is jerks like _you_!" she cut him off.

"Look, I don't have to take this shit from you. You don't know me, you haven't earned the right to come in here and judge me."

" _Earned the right_?! _HA!_ Right, because knowing you is such a _privilege_!" she said, poking a finger into his chest.

"Why don't you try hearing both sides of a story before you assume to know everything."

Miroku heard the yelling long before he reached the door, and when he entered his apartment he was greeted by the sight of his new love interest so far up in his roommate's face that they were literally breathing down each other's throats.

"You're letting me know all I need to know about you right now," Sango yelled.

"Oh, that's right, I almost forgot, you're some know-it-all _Sherlock fucking Holmes_."

" _Ahem!_ " Miroku strategically cleared his throat to gain their attention.

They both turned their heads to him.

"I hope I haven't interrupted anything here," Miroku said, raising an eyebrow as he pushed the door closed behind him.

" _Keh!_ " InuYasha scoffed. "As if I'd want anything to do with this psycho bitch."

Sango stood silent, sending him an icy glare. It was taking everything in her being not to tackle him and beat him to a pulp. "Defend yourself," she challenged him calmly.

InuYasha furrowed his brow. "What? Are you gonna try and _fight_ me?" he asked incredulously.

She rolled her eyes at his obtuseness. "No stupid ass, I'm giving you a chance to defend your actions here," she said. "You're right, I don't know both sides of the story, so why don't you enlighten me?"

"I don't owe _you_ an explanation for anything," he responded.

Sango sighed exasperatedly. "Forget it. You're too stupid to argue with," she said as she turned to Miroku. InuYasha stomped over to the sofa and plopped down, all the while muttering curses under his breath. He turned on the television and intentionally turned the volume up unnecessarily high.

"So, about this…" Sango said, pointedly ignoring the petulant manchild on the sofa and retrieving the phone from her pocket, holding it in front of Miroku. "How much do I owe you?"

"You owe me nothing. It was a gift." Miroku said sincerely.

"No one buys a gift like _this_ for a stranger. Hell, no one buys a gift like this for a _friend_...although…" she paused to look around the surprisingly roomy loft. "You don't seem to be hurting for money."

Miroku grinned. "Appearances can be deceiving."

"Oh? And how's that?" she asked. "You aren't into anything... _unsavory_...are you? Because you _know_ I'm a cop..."

Miroku chuckled. "No, InuYasha's parents own this apartment. Actually, they own this whole building and a couple others like it."

"Ah. So _he's_ the rich one. Figures…"

"Aside from getting a good deal on our rent, InuYasha doesn't accept any aid from his parents at all. He wouldn't even let them pay for his college tuition," Miroku defended his friend, even though InuYasha's current actions weren't exactly deserving of being defended.

"That's...surprisingly respectable actually..." Sango admitted.

"Well, it's more an act of defiance, really. He doesn't like feeling obligated to anyone."

" _Oi!_ I'm _right here_ ya know!" InuYasha called out.

"Yeah, I can see he's really working the whole 'act of defiance' aesthetic," Sango said chuckling.

"Would you like to join us for dinner?" Miroku asked Sango.

"Us?" Sango repeated, shooting a look in the direction of the surly hanyou.

"Yes," Miroku said. "InuYasha and I usually get Chinese take-out on Thursdays."

" _Keh! We don't share!_ "

Miroku waved off InuYasha's outburst. "He doesn't share food, but I'd be happy to."

"Well...I…" Sango hedged.

"We would love to have your company," he encouraged.

" _Speak for yourself!_ " InuYasha called out.

"Ignore him."

"Hmm…" Sango crossed her arms and furrowed her brow in thought. She sort of wanted to stay, she didn't have anything better to do, but she also really didn't want to feel like she was obligated because of the extravagant gift. "How about this. You let me pay you back for _half_ the phone, and I'll stay for dinner."

Miroku grinned. "A fourth," he negotiated.

"A third."

" _A fourth_ ," he repeated, refusing to budge.

She sighed. "Okay, a fourth," she conceded as she rummaged through her purse and retrieved the cash.

"I'll call and order the food. Do you have any preferences?" he asked as she handed him the money.

She shook her head in the negative. "I'm not picky."

"Great! I promise you won't be disappointed," he assured her, before heading into the kitchen and retrieving a menu from a small, nearly overflowing junk-drawer. She listened as he called and placed the order. From what she could gather of the one side of the conversation she could hear, this particular restaurant not only recognized his voice, but knew his longstanding order by heart. She listened as he added items, and couldn't help but smile when the conversation took an amusing turn. "...Yes, well, we have a guest tonight...yes, a lady friend of mine…" he said, looking over his shoulder and winking at said lady. "...No, no, InuYasha is just my _roommate_ …No, think nothing of it!" he said chuckling. "...Oh, well thank you, that's very nice of you to say…Okay, that sounds great, thanks...Yes, you too...Okay, bye." He disconnected the call and looked up at Sango.

"Sounds like you boys have fallen into quite the routine," she said teasingly.

"So, you caught onto that, huh?"

"She thought the two of you were a couple?" Sango said.

Miroku nodded. "And a _handsome_ one, at that."

" _Keh!_ " InuYasha scoffed, turning to look at them over the sofa back. "I could do a whole fucking lot better than him!" he called out.

"I'm not even sure which one of us he's trying to insult now," Sango grumbled.

"Oh, it's both of us, I assure you," Miroku said. "Do you care to go pick that up, InuYasha?"

Without a word, InuYasha stood from the couch, pulled on his jacket and exited the apartment.

They stood silent for a few seconds before Sango finally voiced the question she had been dying to ask all night. "So, why are you friends with him?"

Miroku smiled. "As I told you once before, he doesn't make the best first impression, but he really is a good guy. He was picked on a lot as a kid and I guess he sort of developed this hard outer shell as a result of it."

"Picked on for being hanyou?" she asked.

"Well, that was a part of it," he nodded. "He was also the smallest kid in his class up until high school, and the fact that he had rich parents certainly didn't help either."

"Couldn't they have sent him to private school?"

"They could have…" Miroku said as he began gathering the plates and silverware. "But his father wanted to toughen him up..."

"That seems kind of cruel," she said.

"It worked to his benefit, I believe. Sheltering him wouldn't have done him any favors when it came time to face the real world," Miroku said as he made his way into the living room and sat the plates on the coffee table in front of the television.

"You guys eat in front of the TV?" Sango asked with a raised brow.

"No, we usually have candlelit dinners and talk about our day," he said facetiously.

Sango chuckled. "I guess I asked for that."

InuYasha returned with the food, and the three of them seated themselves, Sango in the middle, on the floor at the coffee table.

Throughout dinner, Miroku and Sango carried most of the conversation, with InuYasha only occasionally chiming in to shout profanities at the basketball players on the television screen.

Sango had resolved early on that she would not be leaving without asking InuYasha why he rejected Kagome. After what she deemed to be an adequate amount of time, she carefully broached the subject.

"So, InuYasha, why did you reject Kagome?"

Well...it sounded a lot more subtle in her head...

"Could you just leave it!" he snapped.

"No I can't just leave it. You hurt my friend and I want to know why."

"What does it matter? She could get any guy she wants. She could do _a lot_ better than _me_."

"I'm not going to argue with you on that," Sango said. "But she didn't deserve to get her feelings hurt."

"I didn't _mean_ to hurt her feelings. And trust me, I did her a favor. I ain't exactly _Prince Charming_ , ya know."

Sango sighed. "Yeah, I've noticed, but...I don't think _Prince Charming_ is who she's looking for. She's been on plenty of first dates with those types of guys and never a second... She really liked you, InuYasha."

"I know that. I like her too, okay? There's just...it's just _complicated_."

"I can accept that, I just want to understand," she said. "I've known Kagome for a long time and she never…" she stopped mid-sentence, pushing the thought away with a wave of her hand. "Nevermind," she said shaking her head.

"She never what?" InuYasha asked, unable to conceal his interest.

"Nothing," Sango said. "I really shouldn't be talking about this. I don't think she would want me talking about this with you."

" _Keh!_ Fine by me," he pouted, poking at his food with his chopsticks. "So, is she...I guess she's still mad then, huh?" he asked sheepishly.

Sango shook her head in the negative. "She's not really mad...she's more _upset_ , than mad. Well, she _was_ upset anyway. To be perfectly honest, she hasn't brought it up again since Saturday. That could either mean that she's over it, or that it's still too sore of a subject to talk about. Personally, I'd say it's the latter, but…" she shrugged. "Don't quote me on it."

He nodded before picking up a dumpling and stuffing it into his mouth.

Sango eyeballed the container of dumplings. "Those look good...I should have gotten some," she said leadingly.

"Yeah, you should have. They're the best in the city." InuYasha said, shoving another into his still-full mouth as if to taunt her.

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Maybe next time."

"Next time?" Miroku questioned, suddenly joining the conversation with barely-veiled enthusiasm.

She turned to him with a grin. "Sure...next time I'm in this neighborhood," she teased.

"Ah, I see. Well, just know, you have a standing invitation to join _us_ ," he said, and Sango was surprised to hear no objection from his roommate.

When she turned back to her food, she found that a dumpling had mysteriously found its way onto her plate. She turned to thank InuYasha, only to find that he was now focused rather intently on the television screen.

"You know, I just might do that," she said with a smile, before picking up the dumpling with her chopsticks, taking a bite, and offering the other half to Miroku, which he eagerly accepted.


	14. Square Peg in a Round Hole

Disclaimer: InuYasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I have nothing.

* * *

 **Phony Digits**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Fourteen:**_ _ **Square Peg in a Round Hole**_

* * *

"How are you doing today, InuYasha?" a chipper female voice sounded from behind him.

InuYasha swiveled around in his desk chair to find the mail girl standing at the opening of his cubicle. He already knew who it was before he turned. Her perfume had been cloying his delicate nose since she'd exited the elevator. She was quite popular with most of the men in the building, mostly due to the fact that she possessed, and revealed, a copious amount of cleavage, of which she was apparently quite proud. InuYasha also had it on good authority, that she had a major youkai fetish; particularly youkai with noticeable non-human characteristics. The 'good authority' being his nose, and the fact that she had screwed half the youkai on this floor, if not the entire building. Apparently word of his breakup had made it all the way to the ground floor.

"Fine thanks," he answered abruptly without making eye contact.

"Let's see here…" she said as she leaned over the cart to thumb through the mail, pressing her breasts against the handlebar and pushing them halfway up to her chin.

InuYasha cleared his throat uncomfortably, and diverted his eyes back to his computer screen.

"Ah, here we are!" the girl chirped as she pulled out a small stack of mail from the cart and placed on the corner of his desk. "So, any big plans this weekend?" she asked leadingly.

"Yep," he said without turning to look at her. He didn't have any plans, but he wasn't about to let _her_ know that.

"Anything interesting?" she prodded.

 _Jeez...this girl can't take a hint…_

"No," he answered simply.

"Oh…okay...I guess I'll see you Monday, then..." she said, disappointment apparent in her voice as she moved on the next cubicle.

A few minutes later, once she'd had time to move from ear shot, InuYasha's co-worker at a neighboring desk rose up over the cubicle wall. "Dude!" he said, looking down at InuYasha. "You are _so_ oblivious! The mail girl _totally_ wants you to fuck her!"

InuYasha rolled his eyes before looking up to face the man. "I'm not _oblivious_ , Travis, I'm just not interested."

" _Not interested?!_ Why the hell not? Are you _queer_?"

"No," InuYasha huffed. "I'm just not interested in being anyone's _fuck toy_."

"Are you _crazy?!_ That is literally the perfect scenario! All the sex without having to put up with a nagging bitch twenty-four seven." He leered at the girl who was now on the other side of the room. "You _know_ she'd be into all kinds of freaky shit... Almost makes me wish _I_ had some animal body parts..."

" _Keh!_ Guess you're not counting your _squirrel dick_ , then," InuYasha shot back.

The douchebag sputtered at the insult. "Hey! I was just messing around, man. You need to learn how to take a joke!"

"You need to learn how to shut the fuck up!" InuYasha snapped.

The struggle not to beat the shit out of this guy was becoming more and more difficult with each passing day. InuYasha was quite used to dealing with ignorant people, but if there was a more vile creature on planet earth, he had yet to meet him. He wasn't sure if the guy was intentionally offensive, or if he was just too much of an idiot to know the difference. Either way, InuYasha hated him, and if he didn't know he would get fired for it, he'd probably punch him in the face. If he didn't know he'd go to prison for it, he might just kill him...

Thankfully, his phone rang just in time to distract him from his murderous thoughts.

The co-worker lowered himself back into his respective cubicle with a huff as InuYasha turned away to answer his phone.

"Hello?"

"Hi, sweetheart. How is your day?"

"Great. Just great," InuYasha answered his mother with no small amount of facetiousness in his tone.

"Well, I was just calling because I'm going to be in the city today and I was wondering if you'd like to have dinner with me."

"Uhh…" InuYasha glanced at his desk calendar that he already knew had nothing on it. "Yeah, I can do that. When and where?"

"How about that place we went to for you father's birthday? What was the name of it? Edward's? Edwin's?"

"I think it was Edmund's."

"Hmm...no...that doesn't sound right…"

He let out a dramatic sigh. "Well, the name doesn't really matter, I know where it is. I have to wear a _tie_ there, don't I?"

"Yes, InuYasha."

He sighed again. "Okay, fine."

"Great! I'll meet you there at seven-thirty."

"Okay, gotta go Mom."

"See you soon."

OOOOOOOOOO

The first thing that InuYasha noticed upon arriving at the restaurant was that he was right, it _was_ named _Edmund's_. Not that it was a competition or anything…

But if it was a competition, he would have won.

He entered the restaurant and began scanning the room looking for his mother. She was apparently, and not at all to his surprise, fashionably late. As he made his way to the bar to await her arrival, he caught a whiff of a very familiar scent, and subsequently the sight of an all too familiar face.

There, alone at a table set for two, sat Kikyo. Not Kagome, or some other unknown look-alike, but the actual, _real_ Kikyo; and of course, he caught her eye before he could slip away unnoticed. She lifted her hand and sent a wave and a smile in his direction.

 _Deja fucking vu,_ InuYasha thought as he trudged slowly to her table like he was headed to his own execution.

"Hello, InuYasha," she greeted him with what appeared to be a genuine warm smile.

"Hi," he greeted back. "Umm...you haven't...my mom didn't call you or anything did she?" he asked. He just had to ask...

"No…" she furrowed her brow and shook her head. "Why?"

"No reason…" he said, shoving his hands in his pockets nonchalantly. He just needed to make sure that his mom wasn't trying to set him up. Seemed like something she would do...

"So, how have you been?" she asked. "It seems like I haven't seen you in ages."

"Uhh…" InuYasha just stood there speechless. Why was she being so nice to him? Shouldn't she be mad at him? Shouldn't she be breathing fire or shooting laser beams out of here eyes right about now?

"Would you like to have a seat?" she asked, motioning to the chair across from her.

"Umm...sure...I guess," he said as he took a seat. "You meeting someone here?"

"Yes. Do you remember my associate David Cartwright?"

InuYasha nodded. "Yeah, he was one of the... _senior_ partners when you did your internship..." he put extra emphasis on the word senior, as he remembered well the man she was talking about, and he was no less than _twenty years_ her senior…

"Yes. Well, I ran into him again...it was on the day you and I broke up actually… As it turns out, he'd been living in my building all this time and we just hadn't ever run into each other before that day. So...anyway, long story short, we started dating, and well…we're...actually getting married in June." she said, the fingers of her right hand nervously turning the large diamond ring on her left.

InuYasha just sat there gaping, not entirely sure what he should say. _Wow...that was fast…but Kikyo never was the type to waste time once she knew what she wanted,_ he thought to himself. He was surprised that he didn't feel a hint of jealousy. In fact, he couldn't help but think _better him than me_.

The irony of Kikyo finding the love of her life on the very same day he met Kagome wasn't lost on him either.

He shook his head of that thought. "Umm...Congratulations," he said. "I'm happy for you, Kikyo. I really am."

"Thank you," she said smiling. For whatever reason, she seemed relieved to have his approval.

InuYasha couldn't help but notice the difference in her demeanor. She appeared much less uptight and controlling than when they were together. "InuYasha…" she said, and then hesitated, her expression turning serious. "I just want you to know that I really did love you. I wanted it to work between us, but... it would never have worked," she said, shaking her head. "I was angry with you at first, when you turned me down, but I've come to realize that us getting married would have been a huge mistake. I think we both know that now. "

Despite being slightly irritated by her assumption, InuYasha couldn't deny that it was the truth. He nodded in agreement.

"We were mismatched. I was always trying to make you into the kind of man I was looking for, and it wasn't fair to you and I'm sorry about that. I know I was a little overbearing to say the least."

InuYasha snorted. "It's okay."

"No, it's not okay. I hope you can forgive me," she said, reaching across the table and wrapping her slender fingers around his wrist.

InuYasha was shocked by her apology. He thought for sure that he was the one that should be asking for forgiveness. " _Keh._ Nothing to forgive," he said with a shrug.

She gave him a half smile. "Still the same as ever, I see."

"Well, I should probably get going," he said, looking at his watch for effect as he stood to leave. "It was good seeing you again."

"It was good seeing you too, InuYasha," she said before standing and giving him a hug. He could hardly remember her ever giving him hugs when they were dating.

"Oh, David's here!" Kikyo said as she saw her fiancé enter the restaurant over InuYasha's shoulder.

The man approached them, apologizing for his tardiness and giving Kikyo a hug and kiss on the cheek before turning to InuYasha.

"InuYasha! Long time no see," he greeted him with an outstretched hand.

"Mr. Cartwright," InuYasha greeted back with a nod as he accepted the handshake.

"Please, call me David," the man said. "Mr. Cartwright is my father." He chuckled and InuYasha resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the lame and grossly overused joke.

"Speaking of fathers," David said. "How is your old man doing? I haven't seen him in years."

"He's fine," InuYasha answered him. "He moved out of the city a few years ago, so he doesn't make it to all the fundraisers and shit he used to."

He could almost feel Kikyo stiffen at his crass choice of words, but she remained silent.

"Well, tell him I said- Oh! Speak of the devil!" David exclaimed, looking somewhere past InuYasha.

InuYasha suppressed the urge to vomit as he turned to look over his shoulder and saw that, sure enough, his mother _and father_ had just entered the restaurant together.

" _Fuck! Fucking fuck!_ " the hanyou cursed under his breath.

David gave him a look of concern. "Everything okay there?" he asked.

"Yeah, sorry," InuYasha apologized halfheartedly.

His mother caught sight of them first and grabbed his father's hand, pulling him along in their direction. "Hi, sweetie!" his mother greeted him with a hug.

"Hey, Mom."

"Have you gotten skinnier?" she said, poking at his ribs. "You look skinnier."

"No Mom, I'm not skinnier," he grumbled.

"Leave him alone, Iz," InuYasha's father said as he joined in on the conversation.

InuYasha was sweating bullets. If he was going to avoid a truly mortifying situation, he needed to say something, and fast. He was really starting to regret asking his mom not to tell his dad about the breakup.

"Kikyo, lovely as ever," InuYasha's father greeted her with a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you," she said with a smile.

"And David!" he greeted the other man enthusiastically. "How have you been?"

"Never better!" David answered. "And yourself?"

"Oh, I certainly can't complain." Mr. Taisho said. "And how is Cynthia?"

InuYasha visibly cringed.

"Cynthia and I are divorced actually. Have been for a couple of years now."

"Oh," InuYasha's father said. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Don't be! It wasn't meant to be," David said with a wave of his hand, before wrapping his arm around Kikyo's waist and pulling her to his side. "It was for the best."

His father froze, and several seconds of the most painfully uncomfortable silence of InuYasha's life passed before another word was spoken. He could feel his dad's heavy gaze upon him, but couldn't bring himself to return the eye contact.

"We should probably go before they give our reservation away, Dear," Izayoi said to her husband as she hooked her elbow around his.

"Yes," Mr. Taisho said, turning from his son to his wife. "Yes. We really should get going. It was good seeing the two of you again," he said to the couple.

The five of them said their respective goodbyes and Kikyo and her fiancé took a seat while the three Taisho's made their way to claim their own table. Not one word was spoken amongst the three of them until they had all settled into their seats.

InuYasha's father was the one to finally break the silence. "So," he said sharply. "What has been happening in your life, son? I seem to have fallen out of the loop."

InuYasha sighed. "Well, I _obviously_ ain't with Kikyo anymore, in case you didn't notice," he snapped.

"No need to be testy. I was only asking."

"Yeah, but you were asking in that smug way you do when you already know something and just wanna make me say it."

"Well, let me ask you something I _don't_ already know then," he said as he unrolled his napkin and folded it onto his lap. "What happened?"

InuYasha crossed his arms over his chest and inhaled a deep breath, letting it out slowly through his nose. "We just decided that we wanted different things."

"And it took you six years to figure that out?"

InuYasha shrugged. "Guess so."

"When did this happen? The two of you were together on New Years…"

"It was just like a week after that."

"So, just a couple months ago and she already has a new boyfriend?" his father asked.

"Just a couple months ago and she already has a _fiancé_ _,_ " InuYasha corrected.

His mother let out a little gasp. "Oh no!" she said, pressing her hands to her cheeks.

"So she dated you for years and never wanted to get married, then she dated David for a few weeks and they are already _engaged_?" his father asked. "Sounds like a gold digger to me."

"No, Dad," InuYasha defended her. "She _did_ want to marry me."

"Then why didn't she marry you instead?" his mother asked.

"Because _I_ didn't want to marry _her_."

She gasped again. "But _why?!_ "

"I just didn't want to. Since when is not wanting to marry someone not a good enough excuse not to marry them?" he asked.

"It is," his father chimed in. "Your mother is just upset, and understandably so. Kikyo had become like a part of the family. I guess we just assumed she always would be."

"Yeah, well, she _ain't,_ " InuYasha huffed.

"I understand," his dad said. "So, have you been seeing anyone new?" he changed the subject nonchalantly.

"No."

"Oh!" his mother exclaimed as an idea came to her. "I know the perfect girl for you, Yasha! My jazzercise instructor, Cindy!"

InuYasha gave her a blank look. "No."

"How can you say no when you haven't even met her?"

"I don't need to meet your _Jazzercise instructor_ to know I'm not interested."

"Leave the boy be, Izayoi."

"He's not a boy, Taisho. He's thirty years old!"

"Exactly. So he's plenty old enough to make his own decisions and deal with his own mistakes."

"So, you think me not marrying Kikyo was a mistake?" InuYasha cut in.

"That's not what I meant, InuYasha."

"Really? Then what did you mean?"

His father paused. "This really isn't appropriate dinner conversation," he said finally.

"Yeah, that's what I thought you'd say," InuYasha grumbled.

There was an uncomfortable lull in the conversation, and the waitress arrived to take their orders just in the nick of time, but after she departed the table fell back into silence.

Mr. Taisho eventually broke the silence by clearing his throat. "So, InuYasha, how is work?"

"It's fine."

"You know, there is always a place for you in the company."

"Yeah," InuYasha responded. "I seem to recall you mentioning something like that once or twice before," he said facetiously. He couldn't remember a time in the last ten years that his father didn't try to lure him back into the family business.

"You'd have to start out working under your brother, but eventually you could work your way up to being partners."

"And that's supposed to be a selling point?" InuYasha asked.

"No, the selling point is that you'd be accepting your multi-million dollar inheritance."

"When have I ever given the impression that I gave a shit about your money?"

"You've never given me the impression that you give a shit about _anything,_ InuYasha," his father scolded him. "It isn't about the money, it's about taking responsibility. I've worked hard to pass a legacy on to my sons and I don't appreciate it being thrown back in my face."

"And I don't appreciate _your_ interests being forced on _me_. What does it matter to you, anyway? You'll still be running this company long after me and mom are decorations on your mantlepiece," InuYasha said.

"InuYasha, that's _enough_!" his mother snapped, effectively silencing him.

Immediately InuYasha regretted the words he had spoken in anger. He knew that he and his mother's lifespans were a sensitive subject with his father. This was his trademark move: letting his temper get the best of him and saying the most hurtful thing he could possibly say.

Youkai lived much longer, and were generally much more powerful and resilient than humans. Hanyou, on the other hand, were not so predictable in their strength or longevity. InuYasha, while as strong as any full youkai, was aging every bit as fast as his human mother. For InuYasha's father, it was a sad reality; one that he had no choice but to accept since falling in love with a human. Although, he tried not to dwell on it too often. He could only hope that he'd one day have grandchildren to fill the empty space they would leave behind, but he'd learned long ago that that was also a sensitive subject.

"I'm sorry I said that," InuYasha said contritely.

"It's okay, son," his father said. "When you have children of your own, you will understand."

InuYasha's answer was to close his eyes and let out an exaggerated sigh.

From that point on the conversation was mostly casual, or at least, as casual as any conversation could be between he and his family members. Since it seemed that every facet of InuYasha's life was currently a touchy subject, his parents discussed, at length, the goings-on of their own lives. InuYasha found his mind wandering back to Kikyo. His hindsight on their relationship had been so clear. She had been nagging, controlling, berating, condescending, emasculating…

 _Hadn't she?_

It had _seemed_ that way until he saw her here tonight. Happy, smiling, calm, content…

And what was the one thing that had changed in her life?

 _He_ wasn't in it anymore…

So, maybe it was _him_. Maybe it had been him all along. Maybe he was the cancer that ate away at every meaningful relationship in his life. Kikyo had said that neither of them were at fault. That they were just incompatible. Perhaps that was true, it could be that they brought out the worst in each other...

But if that were true, why was she blossoming in his absence while he remained unchanged?

 _Because I'm too stubborn to change, that's why…_

Or maybe the difference was that she had found the person that brought out the best in her.

And maybe _he_ had found that person, too, and had sent her away like a fool...

He thought over these things as he half-listened to his mother ramble on about her various social gatherings, nodding and smiling in all the appropriate places. As the night drew to a close, and he and his parents said their goodbyes and went their separate ways, he made a decision. He was going to try to fix what he had screwed up.

On the walk over to the subway station, he took out his phone and typed a message to Kagome.

 **"Hey, I know you probably still hate my guts, but I would really like to apologize and explain myself if you will give me a chance."**

He read it over several times and nodded. He thought it sounded okay. He only hoped Kagome thought so too.


	15. Knee Jerk Reaction

Disclaimer: InuYasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I have nothing.

* * *

 **Phony Digits**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Fifteen: Knee Jerk Reaction**_

* * *

 _Darn it._

Kagome quickly grabbed a tissue and attempted to correct her wayward eyeliner, only succeeding in making it worse.

 _Shoot._

She sighed as she looked at her smudged eyelid in the magnified mirror. _Forget it._ She grabbed a makeup remover towelette and wiped the eyeliner from her lids. _Maybe I'll just get a new haircut,_ she thought as she blew her bangs out of her eyes. She wanted a change. She was feeling restless...or stagnant...or dissatisfied, maybe?

She shook her head. She wasn't really sure what she was feeling anymore. She'd been satisfied with her life before that day several weeks ago when her best friend sent a text to her go-to fake number. If she could somehow travel back in time and prevent it from ever happening she would. It would be better to have never met InuYasha than to feel like she was feeling now. Not crushed. Not heartbroken. Just a nagging feeling that something was missing. Something that wasn't easily replaced. Not that she was particularly eager to find a replacement for that unknown something.

She had decided that casual dating was for the birds, anyway. Maybe she'd just wait for destiny to drop someone into her lap. She chuckled to herself at the thought. That's probably what got her into her current situation. _That's what you thought, wasn't it Kagome? That this was going to be some kind of serendipitous cosmic match?_

She let out an amused snort. "Twenty-three is too young to become a cat-lady," she said to her reflection in the mirror.

As if on cue, her cat let out a meow of objection from its resting place at the foot of her bed.

Kagome got up from her dresser and crouched down next to the bed, giving the cat a scratch between her ears. "Well, you say that now, Buyo, but you wouldn't like it if there were a dozen more cats around here competing for my attention."

Buyo gave a contented rumble as she pushed her head into Kagome's hand.

"That's what I thought," she said with a pat, before standing up, exiting her bedroom, and making her way downstairs.

"Good morning, Kagome," her mother greeted her as she entered the kitchen.

"Good morning, Mama."

"How are you doing this morning, dear?"

"Fine," Kagome answered simply as she grabbed a piece of buttered toast from the table. "How are you?"

"I'm doing well. Do you have a moment to talk before you head off to work?" Mrs. Higurashi asked.

"Umm...sure," Kagome said, furrowing her brow in concern. "Is everything okay?"

Her mother smiled. "Oh yes, everything is perfectly fine. I just wanted to see what your plans were for tonight."

"My plans…? I don't have any plans," she said, shaking her head.

"Okay, dear. Then would you mind making dinner for you and your brother tonight? I'm going to be...going out for dinner," she said somewhat hesitantly.

"Going out?" Kagome questioned with a slight tilt of her head.

"Yes, I'm going out to dinner with a friend...a male friend...on a date," she added.

After a bit of shock induced sputtering, Kagome responded." _Oh_...that's...uh...that's great, Mama. Have you been seeing him long?"

"No, this is a first date. You know Yoshida-san, from the Japanese market?"

Kagome swallowed hard and schooled her features as she gave her mother a very slow and tentative nod. She hoped against hope that her mother wasn't insinuating that she was going on a date with the shriveled old prune that owned the market.

"Well, he set me up with his son."

"Oh," Kagome said, sounding relieved. "Shiro?" she asked, familiar with Mr. Yoshida's two sons. "I thought he was married."

"Not Shiro," her mother corrected. "Takeshi."

Kagome inadvertently let out a quiet gasp. "Takeshi?" she questioned. "Mama…"

"I know, Kagome," her mother cut her off. "He's a little younger than me."

"A _little_ younger? Mama, he's _my_ age!" Kagome said, remembering the giant crush she had on him when she first moved to the United States as a teenager.

"He's not your age Kagome, he's thirty-three."

"Still, _thirty-three_? Mama, are you _sure_ about this?"

"It's just a date sweetheart," Mrs. Higurashi said with a chuckle. "I promise we won't elope," she added, patting her daughter on the shoulder.

Kagome gave her mother wry smile. "Okay, Mama."

Mrs. Higurashi watched Kagome thoughtfully for a few moments, taking in her downcast demeanor. "Kagome, if it really bothers you I can cancel."

"No, Mama, no...I don't want you to do that," she said, waving her free hand. "Really I'm okay, you just caught me a little off guard is all."

Her mother smiled. "Okay, if you're sure."

Kagome nodded. "I'm sure…"

OOOOOOOOOO

"My mother has a date. _MY MOTHER_!" Kagome ranted.

"And what's wrong with that?" Sango asked.

"Nothing is wrong with it at face value, but factor in that _I don't_ have a date and… _ugh_.." Kagome groaned as she plopped into her desk chair and covered her face with her hands. "I am _such_ a loser."

"You're being dramatic, Kagome. You could have a date tonight too, if you wanted one."

"Yeah," Kouga cut in. "You _could_ have a date tonight-"

"No, Kouga," she cut him off.

The wolf youkai heaved a disappointed sigh and leaned his shoulder against the doorframe. "Well, it was worth a try."

"It's not a big deal, Kagome," Shippo chimed in as he poured two packets of sugar into his coffee. "You're just going through a little existential crisis."

"Just a _little_ existential crisis?" Kagome repeated dryly.

"Yeah, just a teeny tiny mental breakdown. No big deal," he shrugged before hopping up to sit on the edge of her desk. "I'm surprised you've made it this far into your twenties without having one."

Kagome rolled her eyes at him. "This guy she's going out with...he's thirty-three years old. _Thirty-three_! He's only ten years older than _me_."

"So?" Sango shrugged. "Your mom is only like, ten years older than him."

"Eleven," Kagome corrected. "And you're not helping…I had a crush on this guy when I was in highschool..."

"Oh...could it be that you're jealous, then?" Sango asked. "I'm sure your mom would cancel if you told her-"

"No," Kagome interrupted. "I'm not interested in him...he's actually sort of dorky now to tell you the truth…it's just...I just think it's kinda weird, is all."

"Look," Sango said. "What you're feeling is normal. You're just out of sorts because you got your heart broken. Everyone goes through it at some point, it's just new for you because you've never experienced it before."

"I'm _really_ not heartbroken, I'm just...I don't know...I just need a new routine or something. A change in scenery…Maybe I'll get a tattoo..."

"No!" Sango shook her head. " _Never_ get a tattoo on a whim. You'll end up living the rest of your life with the anarchy symbol on your left asscheek."

Everyone in the room turned their head to Sango with raised brows.

"Well, that seems oddly specific, Miyahara..." Kouga remarked with barely contained amusement.

"Shut up, Renji," Sango grumbled.

"Well, why don't you move out of your mom's house? Get your own place?" Shippo suggested. "Your brother's going to be moving out soon to go to college, you know your mom's going to be wanting her privacy when she starts bringing her jailbait home to play."

" _Eww!"_ Kagome said, gouging him in the ribs. "Don't talk about my mother like that!"

"I'm just trying to get you to see reason, Kagome," the fox youkai said giggling. "But seriously though, you should think about getting your own apartment. If you started dating someone seriously, you wouldn't want to take them back to your _mom's_ house, would you?"

Kagome sat back in her desk chair, tapping a finger to her chin. "You know what? You're right." She pounded her fist on her desk. "That's a great idea, Shippo! Do you know anyone who's looking for a roommate?"

Shippo shook his head in the negative.

"You know, I have an extra room at-"

"No, Kouga," Kagome cut him off again.

"I could ask my brother," Sango suggested. "There are always students at the university looking for roommates, if you don't mind living with a stranger."

Kagome gave a little shrug and nodded. "That could be fun...girls only though."

"I'll call him today and see if he wouldn't mind asking around for you."

"That would be great, Sango! Thank you so much! I don't know what I'd do without you," Kagome said as she stood from her chair and gave her friend a hug.

"Umm...it was _my_ idea," Shippo interjected.

Kagome held out an arm for him to join the hug. "I don't know what I'd do without you either, Shippo," she said as she wrapped an arm around him.

"Hey! What about me?"

"No, Kouga."

OOOOOOOOOO

"Well, well, _well_...who do we have here? I'm starting to think you really _are_ stalking me," Miroku teased Sango as she and Kouga entered the diner.

"We were just in the neighborhood," Sango retorted as she and Kouga strode over to the booth where Miroku and InuYasha were sitting across from each other. It was the truth. They really _were_ in the neighborhood. "And the food here is damn good," she added.

"Not to mention the excellent company," Miroku said.

"I've had better," Sango teased as she began to take a seat next to Miroku. Kouga grabbed her around the waist and moved her to the other side of the booth next to InuYasha.

"What are you doing, Renji?!" she said as she tried to slap his hands away.

"I'm not sitting next to _that,_ " he said, nodding in InuYasha's direction as he slid in next to Miroku.

" _Keh_!" InuYasha scoffed. "Nobody asked you to sit here, asshole. And it's not like I want to sit by your mangy wolf ass anyhow."

"Awfully big words, coming from a wimpy little mutt."

InuYasha gave a derisive snort. "Everybody knows wolves are just dogs that haven't evolved yet."

"No, everybody knows that _dogs_ are just wolves who've degraded themselves into being human pets." He shifted his gaze to the top of InuYasha's head. "But it looks like you'd know all about that now, wouldn't you?"

InuYasha let out an intimidating growl.

"That's enough, Kouga!" Sango intervened.

Kouga proceeded to grumble something about ungrateful dogs under his breath, which earned him a swift kick to the shin from his partner.

The waitress came and took their orders. Sango and Miroku made casual conversation, and by the time their food was delivered most of the initial tension at the table had melted away.

"So...have you talked to Kagome lately?" InuYasha asked Sango in what he hoped was a relaxed tone.

"Yeah." Sango nodded. "Just talked to her this morning. Why?"

"I texted her last night, but she never responded," he said, trying not to sound too disappointed.

Sango furrowed her brow. "Really?" she asked. "That seems like something she would have mentioned to me. Are you sure the message went through?"

"I think so...I didn't get a notification that it failed to send." He slipped his phone from his pocket to check. "Oh…" he said as he opened the message app.

"What?" Sango asked.

"I must have forgot to hit send," he said as he looked at the typed message waiting in the text box. How stupid. He had tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep for the anticipation of a reply to a message he had never even sent.

"Should I send it now?" he asked.

"What does it say?"

InuYasha looked at the two men across from him, slowly eating their food while staying fully inthralled in he and Sango's conversation. He handed his phone to Sango, rather than read the message aloud for the eavesdroppers to hear.

She read over the message. "Yeah, that's good," she said. "Send that."

"Do you think she'll respond?"

Sango shrugged. "Won't know if you don't try."

"You already tried and she shot you down. Don't you know how to take a hint?" Kouga cut in and Sango delivered another swift kick to his leg under the table. " _OW!_ What was that for?"

"I told you about that in confidence! And you're one to talk about taking _hints_ , Renji."

Miroku sat back and ate his food, watching with great enjoyment as the drama unfolded.

"How the hell is this any of _your_ business anyway?" InuYasha asked Kouga.

"It's my business because Kagome is _my friend_. Unlike you, I have an actual _real_ relationship with her."

"Oh? And how's the friend-zone workin' out for ya?" InuYasha quipped.

"At least she doesn't hate _my_ guts," Kouga grumbled.

InuYasha ignored Kouga's insults and sent the previously typed text to Kagome.

No more than thirty seconds after he had sent the text, Sango's phone began to ring. She removed the phone from it's clip to see that the incoming call was from Kagome, and she felt a sudden surge of guilt. She hadn't really thought of what she was doing as going behind Kagome's back until this moment, but the fact that she hadn't told Kagome about her previous dinner with Miroku and InuYasha made her feel like maybe somewhere deep down her conscience knew. She looked up to find the three other occupants of the table looking at her expectantly.

"Excuse me one moment," she said before sliding out of the booth and heading for the door, answering her phone along the way.

"Hey, Kagome. What's up?" she said innocently, knowing full well what was up.

"Hey, can we meet for lunch?" Kagome asked.

"Actually, I'm already eating lunch right now."

"Oh...are you somewhere close by?"

"No, not really."

"Oh…" Kagome said, clear disappointment in her tone. "I just needed to talk to you about something _._ "

"Yeah...I actually need to talk to you about something too. Do you think we could have dinner tonight?" Sango suggested.

"If you don't mind my cooking and my little brother's flirting," Kagome answered.

"Oh, right...your mom's date. I forgot. How about I come to your house around seven then."

"Works for me."

"Great. Okay. I'll see you then," Sango said before disconnecting the call.

Would Kagome be mad at her? _She'd have every right to be…maybe I should get her drunk before I tell her…_ Sango let out a dramatic sigh as she spun around and re-entered the diner.

OOOOOOOOOO

Kagome disconnected the call and opened the message from InuYasha, reading it again.

 **'Hey, I know you probably still hate my guts, but I would really like to apologize and explain myself if you will give me a chance.'**

This morning she was feeling all empowered and ready to make big changes in her life. For the first time in the last two weeks she was feeling confident again. Excited even, and now…

 _Now all I can think about is InuYasha..._

She sighed.

What had he been doing all this time? Why, now, was he suddenly wanting to make amends? What would he want out of their relationship? Maybe he didn't want any kind of relationship at all, and just wanted to clear his conscience. His message couldn't be more ambiguous on that subject. Would he still insist that he 'isn't ready' for a new relationship? Kagome could accept that, but...would it be worth it for her? Would it be worth it for her to knowingly enter into a strictly platonic relationship with someone who evokes such... _non_ -platonic feeling in her? Probably not. No, definitely not. It would be torture. She would be crazy to intentionally put herself through that.

 _But what if he_ is _interested in more than friendship?_

She wasn't prepared to deal with all of this just yet. Before she made any decisions she needed the opinion of the one person she knew she could always trust to be completely honest with her.

She needed to talk to Sango.


	16. Spilt Milk

Disclaimer: InuYasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I have nothing.

* * *

 **Phony Digits**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Sixteen: Spilt Milk**_

* * *

"Knock, Knock!" Sango called out as she opened the front door of Kagome's home without _actually_ knocking and peeked her head inside.

"Come in!" Came Kagome's voice from the back of the house.

"Ooh...smells good in here. What are we having?" Sango asked as she made her way to the kitchen.

"Spaghetti and meatballs."

" _Brava! Delizioso!_ " Sango said in an unconvincing, and borderline offensive Italian accent before kissing her fingertips. "I brought wine," she said, holding up the bottle in her hand and waggling her eyebrows.

The smile that was previously on Kagome's face evaporated instantly. "You have bad news…" she said grimly.

Sango furrowed her brow. "What would make you think that?" she asked, almost too innocently.

" _Wine_?" Kagome questioned, taking the bottle from Sango's hands. "You always try to get me drunk when you have bad news to tell me."

"I promise you I don't have bad news."

"Well...I have a feeling it's something I'm not going to like…" Kagome said, eyeing her friend suspiciously as she sat the bottle on the kitchen counter.

"Well…"

"Hey, Sango!" a shirtless Souta interrupted as he came strutting into the kitchen. "It's been a while," he said as he pulled out a chair and sat down at the table, stretching his arms over his head and flexing his biceps in a way that he believed would come off as nonchalant. "Looks like life's been treating you well." He looked her up and down, blatantly checking her out.

Sango rolled her eyes at him. "Yeah, you too. Congrats on your balls finally dropping."

" _Ew_! Stop it you two!" Kagome scolded. "Sango, you were about to say something before Souta _rudely_ interrupted." She gave her brother a pointed look as she stirred the sauce.

"Oh," she said with a wave of her hand. "It can wait until after dinner... I do have some good news on the roommate situation, though. I talked to my brother and he may have found your new roommate already."

"Oh yeah?" Kagome said before tasting the marinara from a large wooden spoon.

Sango nodded as she took a seat at the dining table. "Yeah. He said he knows of several people that might be interested. He mentioned one girl in particular that he's going to talk to about it. He said she's really nice and down to earth, and he thinks she's similar to you, personality wise."

"That's great!" Kagome said enthusiastically as she set about dishing out the spaghetti.

"He still needs to talk to her about it, but he said he will let me know when he gets an answer and he seems to think she'll be all for it."

"You're moving out, Kagome?" Souta asked.

She nodded. "Well, I just decided this morning so I haven't told mom yet, but yeah. I figured it's about time, anyway," she said as she carried the plated spaghetti to the table, sitting it before her brother and Sango.

" _Mama mia! That's-a spicy meat-a-ball_!" Souta said in an even more cartoonish and theatrical Italian accent than Sango had previously used.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Sango, would you like to trade brothers? I think you and Souta have more in common."

"No thanks," Sango said. "He's all yours."

The three of them ate their dinner, carrying on only light conversation. After dinner was over, Souta excused himself to his room, leaving the two women alone.

"So, anyway…" Kagome began immediately after her brother's departure. "What I wanted to talk to you about…" She pulled her phone from her pocket.

"Let me stop you right there," Sango interrupted and Kagome gave her a look of confusion. "Kagome, I…" she paused to take a deep breath. "I already know about the text from InuYasha."

"Wha...how?"

"I was there when he sent it."

Kagome sat silent for a few moments, allowing the information to sink in. "Well...is it...are you...I mean, obviously you aren't _seeing_ him...are you?" she asked hesitantly.

"No," Sango shook her head . " _No_. Nothing like that. Actually, it all started because, after I met Miroku at the diner, when I ruined my phone, he bought me a new one as a gift and I went to his apartment to pay him back for the new phone and…" she went on to tell Kagome the whole story of how she had an unplanned dinner with Miroku and InuYasha, then lunch at the diner earlier today.

"I just don't understand why you didn't tell me," Kagome said dejectedly. "You know I wouldn't have been mad at you."

"I know...I'm sorry. To be honest, Kagome, I don't know why I didn't tell you either. I just didn't really even think about it until you called me today when I was with them."

"So...what do you think about him?" Kagome asked, trying to sound nonchalant as she sipped her wine.

"About who, InuYasha?" Sango asked.

Kagome nodded.

"He's hard to read," Sango said with a small shrug.

"No, I mean, without being too analytical. I'm not asking you to profile him, I just want to know...if you think he's worth my time."

Sango took in a deep breath and released it slowly, pursing her lips to the side as she contemplated her answer. "I think he's worth a second chance," she said as she grabbed the bottle of wine a poured another glass for herself and topped off Kagome's. "A slow and _cautious_ second chance."

Kagome smiled. "Thanks. Your opinion means alot to me," she said sincerely. "So...what about Miroku?"

The corners of Sango's mouth turned up in an almost imperceivable smile as she brought her wine glass to she lips and took a sip. "He's...intriguing," she said with a shrug.

"So he's hot, then," Kagome interpreted.

"I'm being serious! He really _is_ intriguing!" she defended. "The fact that he's hot is just a bonus…" she mumbled under her breath.

Kagome let out a chuckle. "That's what I thought."

OOOOOOOOOO

Kagome's mother returned home from her date, and after she had turned in for the night and Sango headed home, Kagome bundled up and headed outside to the back porch to make a phone call that was both exciting and nerve-racking at once.

She dialed InuYasha's number and listened as the phone rang several times. She pulled the phone from her ear to look at the time on the display and saw that it was after midnight. _Maybe he's asleep…_

"Hello?" InuYasha's hoarse and groggy voice came across the line.

She quickly brought the phone back to her ear. "Um...hi, InuYasha, it's Kagome."

"Huh...? Oh!" InuYasha said before clearing his throat. "Sorry, I was just…uh..."

"I woke you up, didn't I? I'm sorry. I didn't even look at the time before I called."

"No, it's okay. It's fine. I wasn't asleep."

Well, that was an obvious lie, but she would let it slide. "Okay, so what did you need to talk to me about?" she asked, a little more curtly than intended.

"Oh, right, umm…I've just been thinking lately about...the way I handled things…" He paused to clear his throat again. "Sorry, I actually was asleep when you called, I don't know why I lied."

"It's okay," Kagome said. "Please continue."

"Well, umm...in hindsight, I can see how you might have assumed the wrong thing. I wasn't completely honest with you about what was going on and it made me come off kind of rude, but I promise it wasn't my intention to offend you. I've never been that great with words and I think sometimes I forget that people can't read my mind. I'd really like the opportunity to explain everything if you'd let me, because I...I really miss talking to you and I'd like it if we could at least start over with a clean slate. Do you think that would be possible?"

He sounded very rehearsed, as if he had previously written and memorized his little spiel. Kagome actually found it sort of endearing, but before she fell for any of his lines, she needed to know one thing...

"It _could_ be possible, but can I ask you something first?" she questioned.

"Uh...yeah, sure."

"What made you suddenly decide to apologize and explain yourself now, after all this time has passed?"

There was an extended stretch of silence as he contemplated his answer.

"Honestly?" he said before taking in and slowly releasing a deep breath. "Well...I ran into my ex-girlfriend a couple days ago, and she was with someone new and...she was really happy and...I don't know...she just had her shit together I guess, and it got me to thinking…"

"Got you to thinking?" Kagome interrupted. "Got you thinking what? That since she's moved on you should call your backup because you don't have a chance with _her_ anymore?"

"No, Kagome, that's not it," InuYasha quickly interjected.

"Are you certain that's not it? Because that sure is how it sounds to me."

"I'm sure," he tried to assure her. "Listen, I-"

"If you were really sorry then you should have apologized to me two weeks ago," she cut him off again.

"I know. I should have and I'm sorry that I didn't. I felt really bad about-"

"Apparently you didn't feel bad enough to apologize."

"Can you _shut up_ for two seconds and let me _finish_?" InuYasha snapped, finding himself at the end of his patience after the third interruption.

He was answered with silence that had him immediately regretting his harsh and impetuous words. This was the very reason he'd preplanned what he was going to say. Because every time he tried to improvise he ended up pissing someone off. He pulled the phone away from his face, checking to see if she is she had hung up on him. The call was still connected. "Are you still there?" he asked contritely.

"You know what, InuYasha," she finally spoke, her voice eerily calm. "Whatever it is...I forgive you."

The relief that InuYasha felt at those words quickly died with the next.

"But I think it'd be best if we went our separate ways."

"That's not what I want, Kagome. I'm sorry I snapped at you, I just want to clear the air with you so that maybe we can start over, but you kept interrupting me."

"I don't want to start over, InuYasha. I'm sorry, but I've got enough on my plate as it is. I'm really not interested in starting a relationship right now with someone as _difficult_ as you," She was trying so hard to be mature, but that last little barb just sort of slipped out.

" _Keh_! Right, because _you_ aren't difficult _at all_ …" he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. He then heard the tell-tale tri-tone of the call disconnecting. " _Goddammit!_ " He drew his arm back, preparing to throw the phone into the brick wall and smash it into a million pieces, but he stopped himself. What if she changed her mind and tried to call him back? He'd need to keep his phone intact just in case.

 _Yeah, right. Like she's going to call me again after this…_

He wasn't sure why he even _wanted_ her to...

But still, he wanted her to.

OOOOOOOOOO

 _How dare he!_ Kagome fumed internally. _Stupid jerk!_

She took a seat in one of the aluminum chairs on the back patio, and leaned her head back to look at the stars and calm down. Despite it being a crystal clear night, she could only see a sparse few stars through the smog and light pollution of the city. She wondered what it would be like to live in a rural setting, or maybe move to a remote island in the South Pacific and living in one of those little huts that sit in the ocean on stilts... She thought she would like that. She wasn't sure why, seeing as how she'd only ever lived in a big city, but suddenly the sound of anything different sounded appealing to her. Well, actually, she _did_ know why she was feeling like this. It was the _restlessness_ creeping up on her again. She did this every time that something didn't go as planned. She had always been the type to get what she wanted. Not that she was ever handed everything she wanted on a silver platter like some spoiled brat. No, not by a _long_ shot. She had always been the type to get what she wanted through hard work and persistence. That probably contributed to her struggle in her romantic relationships. If a guy wasn't _everything_ she wanted, she would move on without a second thought. No compromise. No 'wait and see'. She would passively reject them, making up excuses or dodging their calls until they finally gave up and moved on. Anything to keep from having to confront them and tell them no to their face. It wasn't until recently that her eyes were opened to just how rude and selfish that behavior was.

The only man she had ever confronted face-to-face was the man she had just so boldly rejected for a second time a few minutes ago. What was it about him that made her feel so passionate and confident? What was it about him that made her so... _crazy_?

She had earned her independence, and she prided herself in it. She didn't need a man to lead a fulfilling life, and she _certainly_ didn't need InuYasha...

…But _dammit_ she wanted him, and she didn't know why. And she _hated_ that she wanted the _jerk_ , and she _hated_ that she didn't know _why_ she wanted the _jerk_... It was messing with her entire life.

Why couldn't the person she _wanted_ be the person she always _thought_ she wanted?

...And not some arrogant punk still stuck on his ex-girlfriend...

She let out a loud sigh as she leaned forward with her elbows on her knees, resting her face against her palms.

"What are you doing?"

Kagome sat up with a startled gasp, whipping around to find her brother standing behind her.

"What are you doing out here? You better not have been smoking! You were weren't you?! I knew I smelled smoke!" she scolded him as she stood and grabbed him by the collar, pulling his shirt against her nose and smelling with an audible sniff.

"Jesus. Is it crazy out here or is it just me?" Souta said. "The smoke you smell is coming from the neighbors."

"Oh. Sorry," Kagome said sheepishly. "I'm just sort of wound up I guess."

"So you didn't answer my question. What are you doing out here?" he asked again.

She shrugged before retaking her seat. "Being introspective."

Souta pulled up another chair and took a seat next to her. "I hope that doesn't mean you're in one of your ' _I'm gonna fly to Oregon and climb Mt. Hood_ ' moods."

"I was thinking more along the lines of moving to Malaysia and living in an overwater bungalow actually," she said with a mirthless chuckle.

"Hey...now _that's_ not a half bad idea. I might even come with you."

"How will we make money?"

"We can sell seashells down by the shesore... _dammit!_ "

Kagome burst into giggles.

"That was gonna be a good one and I screwed it up," he said with a chuckle.

Their laughter gave way to silence as the two of them leaned their heads back in their chairs to gaze at what few stars they could see.

"I bet you can see all the stars up in the Adirondacks," Kagome said after several minutes of companionable silence.

"You sure as hell aren't dragging me into the mountains."

"Why not?"

"Hmm...let's see," he started, his tone facetious. "Rattlesnakes, wolves, _bears_!" He counted off on his fingers.

She smiled. "I know someone who once fought a bear with their bare hands."

He turned slowly to look at her. "Please tell me it was Sango."

She let out an amused snort. "No, sorry, not Sango."

"Then...is it the person you're sitting out here brooding about?"

"Yep," she said simply and Souta nodded in reply.

"He actual sounds kinda awesome."

"You men are won over too easily," she said. "You can pummel a bear and still be a huge jerk."

"Ah," Souta said. "Dare I ask?"

Kagome shook her head in the negative. "I wouldn't even know what to tell you, bud." She sighed and relaxed into her chair. "This is nice. We never hang out like this anymore."

"It'd be nicer if I wasn't freezing my balls off."

" _Ew_! Stop talking about your balls!"

Souta chuckled at his sister's discomfort. "I love ya, sis."

"Love you, too, you little twerp."


	17. Pig in a Poke

Disclaimer: InuYasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I have nothing.

* * *

 **Phony Digits**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Seventeen: Pig in a Poke**_

* * *

"Her name is Rin Taisho."

"What's she like?"

Sango shrugged. "I've never met her. Kohaku seems to think you two will hit it off though."

"What do you think? Should I just go for it? Is that crazy?" Kagome asked.

Sango shook her head. "No, people do it all the time, and my brother is friends with her, so it's not really like you'd be living with a _complete_ stranger."

Kagome nodded. "Do you have her number so I can call her?"

"Yeah." Sango pulled out her phone and searched her contacts for the number her brother had given her, writing it down on a Post-it note and sticking it to Kagome's desk. "And Kohaku said that she is going to take care of finding an apartment, so you don't have to do anything. Apparently her family is in the real estate business or something."

"I hope it's something I can afford…" Kagome fretted.

"Stop worrying." Sango waved off her friends concerns. "My brother gave her your price range. Everything's going to work out just fine," she assured.

"Okay," Kagome said, but her voice held very little confidence. "I'm going to call her and set up a meeting then."

"Let me know how it goes. I have to find Renji and get to work."

"Okay. Thanks again for helping me with this, Sango. You're a lifesaver."

"Don't mention it!" she called over her shoulder as she exited the office.

Kagome lifted her phone from her desk and dialed her prospective roommates number. It rang several times before a groggy, male voice answered.

"Hello?"

"Oh...um…I-I'm sorry..." Kagome stuttered momentarily as she was caught off guard. "I think I dialed the wrong number."

"Who were you calling?" he asked.

 _Why does this voice sound so familiar…?_

"Umm...I was calling Rin," Kagome answered.

"Hold on," he said, and Kagome could make out some incoherent mumbling that she assumed was muffled by his hand being pressed over the microphone.

She now wished she would have waited until later to call. She had forgotten that most college students weren't up before eight a.m.

"This is Rin," the girl finally answered, her voice raspy from sleep.

"Yes. Hi, Rin. This is Kagome Higurashi. I'm Kohaku Miyahara's sister's friend. The one that's looking for a roommate."

"Oh, yes!" the girl perked up suddenly. "It's so good to hear from you!"

Kagome then clearly heard the girl whisper. " _It's your sister's friend._ "

 _Ah. No wonder the voice was so familiar…_ Kagome thought. _How interesting..._

"So," Kagome continued. "I was wondering if we could meet up sometime and discuss living arrangements."

"So you're on board then?" Rin asked excitedly.

"Yes, I think so."

"Great!" Rin squealed. "How about tonight?"

"Umm…" Kagome considered for a moment before agreeing. "Yeah, great, that sounds good. Where and when would you like to meet?"

"We can meet at the apartment so you can see what you're agreeing to."

"Oh, you already have an apartment lined up?" Kagome asked in disbelief.

"Yes, my dad knows all the strings to pull," Rin said and Kagome only hoped that didn't mean he was a mobster or anything... "He wasn't sure about letting me move off-campus at first, but he changed his mind when I told him you're a cop."

 _Good. That rules out anything illegal, but..._

"Well, I'm not _actually_ a cop, I'm a forensic scientist..."

"To-may-to, to-mah-to," Rin said.

 _Not really…_ "Okay, well...what time can we meet?"

"Is eight-thirty too late?" Rin asked. "I'd make it earlier, but Kohaku has a late class."

 _Guess I'm going to have to start getting use to late nights if I'm going to be living with a college student._ "No, that's not too late."

"Great! I'll text you the address! We'll see you then!"

"Okay, bye," Kagome said before disconnecting the call. She leaned back in her desk chair and blew her bangs out of her face. _What am I getting myself into?_

OOOOOOOOOO

As soon as Kagome arrived at the the apartment building she knew it wasn't even _close_ to being something she could afford. She didn't need to see the inside to know it was _well_ beyond her means. It even had a doorman. A doorman with a little hat and uniform and everything...

She stood outside waiting for Rin and Kohaku to arrive. It was past sundown, but not quite late enough for the crazies to start coming out. She wasn't overly concerned about that though. This part of town was really nice, and while there were criminals everywhere, she ventured to guess that crime was probably low in this particularly upscale neighborhood.

She saw a couple coming her way, and even from a distance she recognized the boy as Kohaku. Well, _boy_ wasn't really an accurate description for him anymore. It had only been about a year and a half since she had seen him last, but his appearance had changed immensely in that short time. He had noticeably matured and lost most of the awkward lankiness of his youth. Although she was somewhat reluctant to admit it, even to herself, he'd grown up to be quite attractive. It seemed he had developed some fashion sense during his time at the university as well.

Kagome lifted a hand and waved at the couple as they approached. Kohaku only nodded, and Rin gave a high and exuberant wave with the hand that wasn't tightly interlaced with Kohaku's.

"Hi!" she called out. "Sorry we're a little late!"

"It's no problem," Kagome called back. "I've only been here a few minutes."

Rin looked around with a furrowed brow as she closed the distance between them. "You're alone?" she asked.

Kagome nodded.

"Aren't you afraid to walk alone in the city at night?"

"Not really." Kagome shook her head.

Rin shrugged her shoulders. "Okay, well, shall we then?" she said, stepping towards the door and motioning for Kagome to follow.

"Umm...I should probably tell you," Kagome started, then hesitated.

"What it is?" Rin asked as the doorman opened the door and greeted her .

"Well...I'm worried about the cost...I'm not sure I'll be able to afford the rent on an apartment in this building."

Rin waved her off. "Sure you can. Whatever you can afford, that's what you will pay," she said as the three made their way inside the building and over to the elevators.

Kagome stood stunned. "Umm...well, how much will you pay? If you don't mind me asking."

"Zero dollars a month," Rin answered with a giggle. "Perks of having Grandpa as a landlord."

Now it was all beginning to make sense. Kagome also couldn't help but notice that, despite having an eccentric sense of style, Rin clearly wore only the finest clothing. In fact, Kagome wouldn't be surprised to find that the dress Rin was currently wearing wasn't a one-of-a-kind, tailor made especially for her.

"Oh...well, I don't even know your grandpa. I don't want to take advantage of him," Kagome said. There was a big part of her that _did_ want to take advantage of him though. And the more she saw of this building, the larger that part of her became."

"It's fine. He doesn't want me living alone, so as far as he's concerned, you're doing _him_ a favor," Rin said as the exited the elevators on the second floor of the twelve story building.

They walked a few paces down the hallway and stopped in front of a door marked '2E'. "Well, this is it!" Rin said as she slipped a card from her purse and swiped it through the card reader in the doors handle.

The second they entered the apartment Kagome made her decision. Opportunities like this certainly didn't come along every day, and she was going to take it. This place was amazing. She didn't know all that much about home furnishings, but she knew that hardwood floors, granite countertops and gas fireplaces were all things that people liked to brag about, so they _must_ be good. "I really can't afford to pay more than twelve-hundred," Kagome said as she looked around in awe.

"Then you won't pay any more than that."

"But this place…" Kagome said. "The rent has to be at least five...six thousand…"

"Eight, actually," Rin said. "And did I mention the building has a pool?"

Kagome groaned. "This is going to spoil me, Rin..."

The younger girl gave a mischievous smile. "You only live once."

"That logic can get you into trouble," Kagome responded.

"Good! I love trouble!" Rin replied, slapping her on the back.

Kagome shot a glance over Rin's head to the ever silent Kohaku, and noticed an almost imperceivable smirk on his face. _He's mocking me…_ Kagome thought to herself. _Maybe this isn't such a good idea._

"Well, aren't you going to look around?" Rin asked.

Kagome made her way down the hallway and peeked her head into a bedroom. It was just an empty room, but it was spacious. Huge, really, for this part of town. She peeked her head into the next door and found a bathroom with a shower that looked like something straight out of Architectural Digest, and in the corner of the room...a jacuzzi tub. Kagome whipped her head in Rin's direction and almost involuntarily shouted, " _I'll take it!_ "

"Yes!" Rin cheered. "Oh, Kagome. We're going to have so much fun! Just you wait!"

This may turn out to be a huge mistake, but in this moment Kagome really couldn't bring herself to care. She was starting to understand why all those fairy tale characters would sell their soul to the devil. She wasn't sure if she would agree to sell her _soul_...but damn, that bathroom sure was nice…

Kagome made her way back down the hall towards the entrance. "This place is seriously going to ruin me," she said, shaking her head. "I don't know how I'll ever be able to go back to living like a commoner after living here."

"A commoner…" Rin chuckled. "Marry rich, then," she said with a shrug. "You got the face for it, and you sure as _hell_ got body for it."

Kagome opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out. _Kohaku thinks this girl's personality is similar to mine…?_

"So, are you hungry?" Rin asked, not seeming to notice Kagome's surprise at her previous statement.

"Uh...I could eat," Kagome said with a shrug.

"Well, would you like to join us for pizza?"

"Um...sure, sounds good," she nodded. She actually thought it sounded like a bad idea to eat pizza this late at night, but she didn't want Rin to think that she was some old, party-pooping hag who was afraid of getting heartburn.

"I know of a great place just down the street from here," Rin said, grabbing Kohaku by the hand and pulling him toward the door.

Kagome followed behind them as they exited, pausing and turning to take one last look at the place where she would soon be living. She let out a wistful sigh as she flipped off the light switch and pulled the door closed behind her.

OOOOOOOOOO

After the three of them entered the restaurant, ordered their food and were seated, Kohaku excused himself to the restroom, leaving the two girls alone at the table.

"Mmm…" Rin gave a sound of appreciation as she watched Kohaku weave his way through the tables toward the bathroom. "Have you ever seen a better ass in your entire life?"

Kagome almost spit out her drink. "Well, I've known him since he was eleven so…"

"Oh right! I'm sorry, I forgot," Rin said, slapping a hand to her forehead. "Way to go, Rin. Make your new roommate uncomfortable on the _first day_ ," she scolded herself aloud.

Kagome chuckled. "It's okay, you aren't making me uncomfortable, just caught me off guard is all. So, how long have the two of you been dating?" she asked.

"Since November. Well, _exclusively_ since January."

"Exclusively?"

Rin nodded proudly. "I'm the first girl he's ever dated exclusively. He could get any girl he wants...and _has_ ," she added the last bit hesitantly.

" _Really_?" Kagome said, disbelieving. "But he seems so shy."

"Well, you know what they say..."

"What's that?" Kagome asked, crinkling her brow.

"It's the quiet ones you have to watch out for," Rin said with a wink. "If you know what I mean…" She waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Kagome wasn't sure she _did_ know what Rin meant...she wasn't sure she wanted to know. "Uh, yeah," she said, chuckling awkwardly.

"So, are you dating anyone?" Rin asked.

"No," Kagome shook her head. "Actually, it's kind of embarrassing to admit, but I've never had a boyfriend before."

Rin's eyebrows shot up in her bangs. "Really? Not even in high school?" she asked disbelieving.

Kagome shook her head again. "No. I moved to the U.S. my first year of highschool and didn't make too many friends until college. Actually, Sango was my only real friend for a long time."

"And what's your excuse now?" Rin said candidly.

"Honestly?" Kagome said. "I'm just too picky, I think."

Rin chuckled. "Nothing wrong with knowing what you want."

"Yeah, but how do you know what you _should_ compromise on and what you _shouldn't_?"

Rin paused for several seconds in contemplation before answering. "I'm not sure...I think you just _know,_ you know? When the _person_ becomes more important to you than the _ideal_ you've created in your head...you just know it in your gut," she said, pressing a hand to her stomach. "The important things and the trivial things just kind of sort themselves out...that's just this one girl's opinion though."

Kagome was actually somewhat surprised at how much Rin's advice made sense. Based on her first impression, she hadn't exactly expected such deep thoughts from her. "Have you ever been in love before?" she asked the younger girl.

Rin's eyes were focused somewhere over Kagome's shoulder. "I don't know," she said, and just seconds later Kohaku was returning to the table, effectively ending their conversation.

"Did you have fun?" Rin asked him as he took a seat next to her.

"In the _bathroom_? What do you think I was doing in there?" he asked with a grin.

"Oh...right…sorry, that's just my default question when someone comes back into a room," she said with a giggle as she leaned into him and gave him a quick peck on the lips.

He sent a sideways glance in Kagome's direction, his discomfort at the public display of affection obvious.

"So, Kohaku," Kagome addressed him. "Have you chosen a major?"

He nodded. "Forensic biology."

Kagome's face lit up. "No kidding! Sango didn't even tell me!"

"Well...I haven't actually told Sango yet. I don't want to let her down if change my mind...or fail."

"Why do you think you would fail?" Kagome asked him.

"I'm a little bit worried about the…'hands on' part."

"Oh," Kagome said. "You mean the cadavers?"

Kohaku nodded. "I'm not sure I'll ever be desensitized like my sister is."

"I was worried about that too, but when it comes right down to it, separating the person from the corpse is easier than you might think. I wouldn't say that I ever became desensitized to death like Sango, I just have to make myself think of the body as a clue the person left behind for me to help solve their murder. I guess you could say I'm more _detached_ than desensitized," she said before furrowing her brow in confusion. "But I thought you were interested in writing. What happened with that?"

Kohaku shrugged. "I just decided I needed to focus on something more practical."

"So you chose criminal justice at random?" Kagome asked skeptically, knowing the reason he'd chosen it was to impress his police captain father and homicide detective sister. "You know your dad and Sango want you to be happy more than they want you to impress them, Kohaku."

"Yeah, I know." he said simply and matter-of-factly.

"Well, I'm more than willing to help you with your school work if you ever need any help," she said sincerely. "But the most important advice I can give you is, don't pursue a career in this field if it's not what you really want. Don't do it for anyone other than you."

Kohaku acknowledged her advice with a nod, but said nothing further.

"So, what about you Rin?" Kagome asked, turning her attention to the girl sitting directly across from her. "What are you studying?"

"Art."

"You're an artist?"

"Mmmhmm," Rin nodded.

"What's your medium?"

"Stained glass."

" _Oh_! I'd love to see your work sometime!" Kagome exclaimed.

"Well, you'll probably be seeing plenty of it when we are living together."

"Oh, right," Kagome slapped her hand to her forehead. "Duh."

Rin giggled. "Speaking of which, when do you want to move in?"

Kagome shrugged her shoulders. "Anytime, I suppose."

"Well, how about the day after tomorrow, then? Is that too soon?"

Kagome contemplated for a moment. It was a weekday, but she didn't have that much stuff to move. She could probably wrangle up all the help she needed by then. Shippo had a pickup truck, and he was always willing to lend her a hand. Sango could probably take the morning off and Kouga would cover for her. "Yeah," Kagome nodded. "I think I can do that."

"Yay!" Rin cheered, clapping her hands together. "This is going to be so much fun!"


	18. Over the Moon

Disclaimer: InuYasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi.

* * *

 **Phony Digits**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Eighteen: Over the Moon**_

* * *

March eighth.

To most people it was a day like any other, but to InuYasha it was significant.

It marked the anniversary of the day which he burst forth into life.

Thirty years and what did he have to show for it?

 _What have I fucking done with my miserable fucking existence?_

 _ **BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP**_

With an annoyed snarl, InuYasha snatched his phone from the nightstand, disconnected it from the charger and turned off the alarm. The only thing more annoying to him than being woken up by an alarm, was the sound of the thing going off when he was _already_ awake; it's abrasive tone was just a smug reminder that his time to wallow in self pity was up for another day.

He rolled over in his bed, letting out a groan and burying his face in his pillow as he contemplated the idea of calling in sick to work. He didn't really feel up to the challenge of getting out of bed on this particular day. Although he hated his job with every fiber of his being, at least if he went to work he would have something to distract him from his depressing thoughts.

Another year gone and what had he accomplished?

Getting dumped.

That was the only noteworthy event that had taken place in the last twelve months. All other aspects of his life remained unchanged. His parents still thought he was a giant disappointment. His brother was still a bastard. Miroku was the one and only person in the entire world who actually called him a friend.

Meeting Kagome had been the only _potentially_ positive new development in his life, but he'd blown _that_ all to hell too.

And what was worse? Tonight was the goddamn-fucking-piece-of-shit new moon to top it all off…

OOOOOOOOOO

 _"...and then he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him."_

 _"Let me see the ring! Oh, it's gorgeous! I'm so jealous. When's the wedding?"_

 _"October first."_

 _"Oh, I just love fall weddings! I'm so happy for you!"_

InuYasha unintentionally listened in on the conversation going on in the cubicle behind him.

 _Stupid fuckers..._

He lifted his phone from his desk, checking it for the tenth time this hour. He perked up momentarily when he saw a new notification, only to sink back down when he realized it was just a junk email.

His face lit up again when the phone vibrated in his hand, but sank even further when he saw it was only a message from his roommate.

 **'Lunch?'** the text read.

 _'No.'_ InuYasha responded.

 **'I'll meet you at Monroe's at 1'**

 _'I said no.'_

 **'Okay, see you then!'** Miroku responded, ignoring his friends refusal.

InuYasha let out a frustrated growl, but otherwise conceded.

Miroku was already at the diner waiting when InuYasha arrived. He slid into the booth across from his friend without a word, immediately slipping his phone from his hip pocket and resting it on his thigh under the table.

Miroku couldn't help but notice how horrible InuYasha looked. Tired and pale and...well...sort of gross...

"So, is this some kind of new grunge look you're going for, or have you just decided to let yourself go?"

" _Keh!_ " he scoffed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

If he hadn't looked so incredibly pathetic, Miroku would have probably laughed at his friends disheveled appearance. It had clearly been a while since he had shaved, his scruffy black facial hair was in stark contrast to his snow white hair which didn't appear to have been washed or even brushed in several days at least. It was twisted up on the back of his head and held in place by a large, stainless steel friction divider.

When the waitress arrived and took their order, InuYasha declined to order anything.

"You aren't eating?" Miroku asked him.

"Not hungry," InuYasha said shaking his head. "I think I'm getting sick."

Miroku narrowed his eyes and looked him over appraisingly. "I've known you since you were born. You've _never_ been sick."

"Well, I don't know. Maybe I have cancer or something."

Miroku sighed. "And you say _I'm_ dramatic…" he said rolling his eyes. "You don't have _cancer_ , InuYasha. You're depressed."

"I'm _not_ fucking depressed."

"Oh really? So you're just _so happy_ that you had to go to bed at six-thirty and sleep for fourteen hours straight?" Miroku said facetiously.

"I told you, I'm just sick or something. I'm not depressed like some little fucking girl…" he spat out before trying to nonchalantly check his phone that rested on his leg under the table.

"Is your phone in your lap or are you just playing with yourself under the table?"

"It's my phone, _jackass_!"

"You expecting a call?"

"No...I guess not…" InuYasha said dejectedly as he returned the phone to his pocket.

"Why don't you just call her and apologize?"

"You think I haven't tried that?" InuYasha snapped. "She didn't answer."

"Oh…did you try texting her?"

InuYasha nodded.

"I see...well, maybe I could try to talk Sango into talking to her for you."

"No!" InuYasha said adamantly. "I don't need anyone cleaning up my messes for me."

"Well, you need to pull yourself together. It's not like you to feel sorry for yourself."

"It's not like me..." InuYasha repeated mostly to himself.

"If you aren't going to fix this, then you need to move on."

"Easy for you to say. You've got _your_ dream girl following you around the city like a lost pup."

"So, you're saying Kagome is your dream girl?"

"I ain't sayin' _that_!"

"Then what are you saying?"

InuYasha shrugged. "I just miss talking to her. That's all."

"That's _all_?" Miroku asked. "You expect me to believe that?"

"I mean, I guess it's not _all_. I like her, of course. She's funny, and smart...and she's really pretty...not that I care what my _friends_ look like or anything…" he said, keeping his eyes cast down on his fidgeting hands.

Miroku chuckled. "But you wish she was more than just a friend."

"I'd take anything she'd be willing to give me," he said, sounding discouraged. "At this point I'd be lucky to just have her friendship...but I fucked that up just like I fuck up everything else in my life."

"You don't fuck up everything, InuYasha."

"Oh really, then name one of my many smashing successes," InuYasha challenged.

Miroku's mouth opened, InuYasha could almost see the metaphorical gears turning in his mind.

" _See_?" InuYasha said.

"It's just hard to think when you put me on the spot like that."

"Whatever," the hanyou huffed, ears twitching uncomfortably as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm ready to change this subject anyway."

Miroku nodded, before leaning in and sipping his water through the straw.

" _Geez_...could you drink any louder? You sound like a horse at the trough," InuYasha snapped.

Miroku shot him an annoyed glare. "I can sympathize with you Yash, but don't start taking your bitterness and self loathing out on me. I'll will kick your ass six ways to Sunday."

" _Keh! You wish_ ," InuYasha grumbled under his breath.

"So, anyway, not to add insult to injury or anything, but Sango and I are finally going on a real date," Miroku said, respecting his friends request to change the subject.

InuYasha raised his eyebrows in surprise. "No kiddin'? Did you blackmail her or something?"

"No. _For your information_ , it didn't require all that much coaxing at all.

"Don't get your hopes up too high. She doesn't seem like the type of girl that would sleep with you on the first date."

Miroku gasped and pressed a hand to his chest. "I'm offended you would think that that's my intention."

"When has that ever _not_ been your intention, Miroku?"

"Well...today, for one."

InuYasha furrowed his brow. "Your date with her is today?"

"Yes, tonight."

InuYasha nodded. It's not like he really cared whether or not anyone remembered his birthday...but Miroku had never forgotten it before…

"Do you have any plans?" Miroku asked. "You know, like shaving, or showering? Anything like that?"

InuYasha rolled his eyes and let out an annoyed huff. "It's the new moon tonight."

"Ah, I see. So you are going to stay at home and do some more sulking then."

"What the hell else am I supposed to do?"

Miroku let out a sigh. "I'd suggest you go out and try to make some friends, but I know that's a rather farfetched idea for you," he said facetiously.

"So what are you and Sango doing?" InuYasha asked, directing the focus away from himself. "I'm sure you got the whole night planned out already."

"Well…"

OOOOOOOOOO

Sango ran her straightening iron slowly through her hair, pressing out the crease left behind from the ponytail she'd been wearing earlier in the day. Just as she was finishing, she heard a knock at the door. She retrieved her lint roller from the dresser, and quickly rolled it over her black dress to catch any stray cat hairs that may be clinging to the fabric.

Her dress was very snug, and very short, and very low-cut, and probably totally inappropriate for this time of year, but it was the only one she owned, and she'd be damned before she'd go out and buy a brand new dress that she'd probably never wear again for a first date. She reasoned that since it had long sleeves, it was acceptable as a winter dress.

She had been thinking about this date all afternoon. Not that she was all _that_ much more excited than usual. Well, maybe a _little_ more excited...but just a little teeny tiny bit…

She liked to brush up on her psychological profiling skills when she prepared for dates. So far her track record was solid. She could almost guess every detail of a date, solely based on a first impression of the man. For Miroku, she would almost bet money he'd bring her roses. Red roses. The date would consist of eating at a fancy restaurant where the food was good, but not when compared to the price. She'd have him take her straight home afterward, and no doubt it would end with him walking her to her door, leaning in to kiss her, only to be denied her lips and offered her cheek. Yes. There is no way she was going to let him kiss her on the first date. Not that she had been mentally planning any future dates, or anything like that. No. Definitely not...

She whipped open the front door to find Miroku leaning casually against the frame, holding a bouquet of white lilies out toward her.

Sango took the bouquet in her hands. "Not roses?" she asked, raising a brow. _**Zero for one**_. "You seem like a roses kind of guy."

"Roses are so ordinary."

"Ah. I see. And let me guess, you are no _ordinary_ guy, right?" she quipped.

"No, _you_ are no ordinary woman."

She rolled her eyes. "Not even in the door yet and already working on your endgame," she accused.

"You are too cynical, Sango. Do you always assume the worst in people?"

"Of course. It comes with the territory. If you'd seen the things I've seen, you'd lose faith in humanity too," she said as she turned and headed for the kitchen. "Just let me put these in some water and we can go."

While her back was turned, Miroku took the opportunity to enjoy the view that had been testing every shred of his self control since the moment Sango had opened the door.

"Stop staring at my ass!" she called over her shoulder.

"I was doing no such thing!" he defended a little too quickly.

She spun around to face him. "Yes you were, I could see your reflection in the microwave," she said, pointing to said appliance.

"Oh…" He wondered if she was ever _not_ in 'detective mode'. "Well, Sango, what can I say. I have always been an admirer of rare and beautiful things."

"Oh my God," she said with a sigh as she grabbed a quart mason jar from the cupboard and began filling it with water. "Let's go. Quick, before you say something else stupid and I change my mind."

OOOOOOOOOO

"So, do you like being on the water," Miroku asked as the approached the ramp leading up to the dinner cruise ship they were preparing to board.

 _ **Zero for two**_.

Sango shrugged. "Haven't spent all that much time on it, to tell you the truth. I usually only visit the river when a dead body washes up."

Miroku cringed. "How very romantic," he teased. "Well, shall we?" He held out a hand to offer her assistance in her ascent up the ramp.

"I think I can handle it myself, _loverboy_ ," she said as she pushed his hand away with a smirk. Stepping past him, she strutted towards the foot of the ramp with her head held high, before tripping on the lip, running and flailing her arms in an attempt to regain her balance, and finally catching herself on the guard rail.

"Glad to see you have a handle on things, Sango," Miroku said facetiously, barely containing his mirth as he breezed past her to the boats entrance.

Sango let out a frustrated growl as she released the railing and begrudgingly stomped the rest of the way up the incline behind him.

OOOOOOOOOO

"My mother passed away when Kohaku was just a toddler, and my dad never remarried."

"Sorry to hear that," Miroku said.

Sango waved her hand dismissively. "It was a long time ago. I mean, I hardly even remember her to tell you the truth. So what about your family?"

Miroku chuckled at the question. "Well, calling my family a _family_ would be using the term quite loosely."

"It couldn't be that bad," she encouraged him to continue before taking a sip of wine.

"Well, let's see...where do I begin…" He leaned in on his elbows on the table and steepled his fingers in front of his lips. "My father had intended to become a priest. He even attended seminary, but alas, the vow of celibacy proved to be too difficult, even for a man of such rigorous discipline. His love for women proved to be his undoing as a man of the cloth."

" _Love for women_ , huh?" Sango repeated facetiously. "Are you sure he wasn't just a _skirt-chaser_?"

Miroku smiled. "You're powers of deduction extend even to people whom you've never met."

"So are your parents still married?"

He shook his head. "They were never married. They were never _really_ even together. The only connection they ever had was shared custody of _me_ ," he said.

"Oh. So do you have any siblings?"

He nodded. "My dad has four other children, all with different mothers."

"You're kidding…" Sango said in disbelief.

"Nope," He shook his head. "Well, actually I take that back. The youngest two _do_ have the same mother, because they're twins. I've never even met them because their mom doesn't want them around my dad...not that I really _blame_ her. They're young, maybe eleven or twelve years old at most. I have one older half brother who's probably in jail right now, he usually is, and one younger half sister who lives in Colorado with her husband and children. They're both doctors."

"And what about your mom."

He took in a deep breath. "She's..." he paused before letting the air out of his lungs in a whoosh, "tiny, and loud, and full of rage..."

Sango threw her head back and laughed at his description. "I like her already!"

"Good!" Miroku exclaimed. "I guess that means I haven't totally scared you away yet."

"No," she shook her head. "Not yet. It takes more than a little family dysfunction to scare me away."

"That's good to know, because I've got plenty of that to go around."

They sat for several minutes in companionable silence, eating their dinner, enjoying the live music and the nighttime view of the city through the large, floor to ceiling windows that served as the walls of the ship.

"You know, I've been on lots of first dates, and this is my first boat ride."

"Really?" Miroku asked in surprise. "Mine too!"

"What made you choose this then, if you've never done it before?"

He shrugged. "Just wanted to try something new."

"I've heard mixed reviews," Sango commented.

"Me too, but far so good, wouldn't you agree?

"Knock on wood," she responded, rapping her knuckles on the table and he followed suit.

"So, about your 'lots' of first dates…" Miroku interjected, "many of them turn into second ones?"

She gave him a coy smile and clicked her tongue. "Not many."

"Then tell me, where did they go wrong, so I know where to go right?"

Sango chuckled. "No big things really. Just lots of little things. _Deal breakers_ , you know…"

"So, what are some of these 'deal breakers' then. Give me an example."

"I don't know... Just, you know, like maybe something annoying or gross."

"Like?"

"Like, if I found out you liked to drink buttermilk as a snack or something like that."

His face dropped into a serious expression. "Sango, I _love_ buttermilk. I drink a glass every morning upon rising and every night before bed."

"Uh…oh...I…" she fumbled for words, then looked up to find his shoulders shaking with restrained laughter.

"You idiot!" she said upon realizing that he was messing with her. She grabbed the napkin from her lap and threw it at his face,

"I'm sorry, I couldn't resist." he laughed, catching the napkin against his chest.

"So, just for the record, you _don't_ drink buttermilk, right."

"No. Yuck," He shook his head and scrunched his face in disgust.

"Good."

"Although, I have to say, I'm surprised that someone who isn't deterred by family dysfunction would be put off by something as simple as buttermilk."

She shrugged. "What can I say? I know what I like...and _don't_ like. Besides, everyone has _some_ dysfunction, right? I'd be a hypocrite to reject someone over something like that; but the 'deal breakers' on the other hand...those are important. I couldn't have a future with someone who was always doing things that were irritating or a turn-off."

Miroku nodded. "Makes sense...so, what's another one?"

"Another deal breaker?"

He nodded.

"Hmm…" she tapped a finger against her chin as she thought. "Like, If you showed up to pick me up wearing brightly colored tennis shoes, I'd probably say I had something come up at work and cancel the date."

He laughed. "That's so harsh."

"Like I said, I know what I like," she said with a smile.

"Do you like to dance?"

"Depends. Are you any good?" she asked.

"Only one way to find out." He stood from the table and extended his hand to her and she accepted.

OOOOOOOOOO

The ship returned to dock and the two made their way back to Miroku's vehicle.

"So, it's still pretty early," he said, looking at his watch. "Would you like to come over to my place and watch a movie or something?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You still working on that endgame?" she asked suspiciously.

He chuckled. "No, I assure you my intentions are honorable. Plus, InuYasha is there so if there were any sort of romantic mood it would be killed instantly upon entering."

Sango snorted a laugh. "Yeah, he's a little bit of a buzz kill, huh?"

Miroku nodded. "He can be."

"Alright then," she accepted. _**Zero for three**_. "I can't stay too late, though."


	19. Three Sheets to the Wind

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha.

* * *

 **Phony Digits**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Nineteen: Three Sheets to the Wind**_

* * *

Sango and Miroku returned from their date, and upon entering the apartment, found a fully human InuYasha passed out face down on the sofa; an empty, clear glass bottle lying on the floor beside him.

When Sango caught sight of him, she gasped in surprise and frantically stumbled back into Miroku's chest. " _Who is that_?" she whispered, grabbing hold of his shirt sleeve.

"Oh, it's just InuYasha, I forgot it's his human night tonight," Miroku said nonchalantly as he removed his coat and hung it on one of the wall mounted hooks flanking the door.

" _Oh_ ," Sango relaxed and released her hold on him before removing and hanging her own jacket, and crossing the room towards InuYasha's unconscious form.

Miroku picked up and inspected the empty bottle. He recognized it as a top-shelf bourbon his lumber supplier had given him for Christmas. He was certain it had been almost, if not _completely_ full before InuYasha got ahold of it.

Sango approached InuYasha and knelt beside him. She was aware that all hanyou had times of vulnerability where they appeared human, but this was her first time ever actually seeing it in person. "Wow...he looks so different," she said as she pushed his jet black hair back off of his face and looped it behind his human ear. "How often does this happen?"

"Every new moon," he answered.

"He's lying so still." Sango said and Miroku watched as she pressed the back of her hand to his cheek, then held a finger under his nose.

"Don't worry, he's not dead. I've been trying to kill him since he was fourteen, and trust me, it would take a lot more than _this_." he joked, sitting the bottle on the coffee table and making his way towards his friend. "Just let me get him to his room."

Sango stood and backed away as Miroku took her place, kneeling on the floor beside the couch.

"InuYasha," Miroku said, slapping his cheek roughly. "InuYasha," he called a little louder, still getting no response. He rolled him over onto his back and slapped his cheek again, significantly harder. "Looks like I'm gonna have to carry him." He slipped his arms under InuYasha's shoulders and knees, lifting him from the sofa. The second he turned away from the couch, InuYasha awoke.

"No!" he said as he began to thrash. "No, no, NO!" he pushed himself away from Miroku, flopping unceremoniously onto the floor with a loud thud.

Miroku knelt down on the rug next to his friend who was now curled up in the fetal position, sobbing. "InuYasha, what's wrong with you?"

He was answered only by unintelligible drunken blubbering and he removed his phone from his pocket and began to video the scene.

"Are you recording him?" Sango asked.

"Yes. He needs to see this. It will be good for him, trust me."

She nodded. "Umm…where's your bathroom?" She didn't really _need_ to go, but she was feeling uncomfortable about being a spectator to the scene unfolding before her, and needed an excuse to remove herself from the room.

"It's the second door on the right," Miroku answered. "I apologize for this."

"It's fine…" She pointed back over her shoulder with her thumb. "I just need to use the restroom."

Miroku nodded and Sango made her way down the hallway and into the bathroom.

In his hard partying college years, Miroku had seen every kind of drunk. There was everyone's favorite, the happy, uninhibited drunk. There was the angry drunk, who, while not entirely pleasant wasn't without their entertainment value as long as you didn't become the focus of their ire. There was also the rare, philosophical drunk who seemed to transcend the metaphysical plane and achieve enlightenment that they felt needed to be shared with anyone who would listen. And then there was the _worst._..

The one type of drunk that everyone avoided like the plague.

The one that made you so uncomfortable all you wanted to do was run, but you couldn't get away.

The sad, clingy, weepy, 'woe is me' drunk.

He would never have imagined that this was the type of drunk his gruff, macho, tough-talking hanyou roommate would be.

The fact that this blubbering, mucus covered mass of human flesh on his living room floor was _InuYasha_ , and not some freshman pledge at his first frat party made the situation one hundred fold more uncomfortable.

"InuYasha, why are you crying?" he calmly asked his drunken roommate.

" _I'm not crying! You're crying!_ " InuYasha sobbed out forcefully.

"O- _kay_." Miroku said with a roll of his eyes as he stopped the recording on his phone and sent the video to InuYasha's phone. "InuYasha, I'm going to take you to your room," he said as he attempted to pull him to his feet.

"Okay," InuYasha said contritely, with a sniffle for added effect.

Miroku wrapped an arm around his friend's back and hoisted him to his feet. He had always wondered why InuYasha refused to drink with him. Now he had his answer.

InuYasha staggered his way toward his room with the assistance of Miroku's shoulder. "I'm gonna die alone, Dad."

"You're not going to die alone InuYasha, and I'm not your dad."

InuYasha turned glassy eyes to his friend. Blinking slowly in an attempt to focus. "Oh, Roku...it's you," he slurred. "You're my best friend."

"You're my best friend too, brother."

"My one and only friend..."

"Okay," Miroku placated.

"...and you forgot my birthday," InuYasha added, just before emptying the contents of his stomach on his one and only friends shoulder.

Miroku stopped in his tracks and cringed as guilt and warm whiskey sank into his conscience and shirt, respectively.

He couldn't believe that he had forgotten. He'd been so caught up in pursuing Sango that it had completely slipped his mind.

"But that's okay 'cause I had a party for myself," InuYasha slurred, seeming unfazed or unaware that he had just vomited on his friend.

"Yes, I can see that, Yash. Looks like you had fun," Miroku said facetiously with a roll of his eyes.

InuYasha's head dropped down and his shoulders began to shake again. "No, I didn't. Nothin's fun anymore." he said in a pathetic whimper as he pushed away from Miroku, sinking to his knees and flopping down onto his side on the floor, curling into himself. "I shoulda just said yes to Kikyo. Nobody else is ever gonna want me," he sobbed as he grabbed the hem of his shirt, pulled it off over his head and tossed it away.

"What are you doing?"

"It's hot in here!" he cried, and his hands flew to the drawstring of his sweatpants.

"Oh no you don't!" Miroku said, kneeling down, grabbing InuYasha's hands and pulling them away from his pants. "We have company, so you need to get to your room before you take your pants off," he said as he hooked his arms under InuYasha's and dragged him to his feet.

" _Oh shit!_ It's gonna fall! It's gonna fall, _it's gonna fall_!" InuYasha chanted incoherently, grabbing at the walls as he slid back down to his butt. "It's _falling_!"

"What is?"

"The house!"

"No, it's not," Miroku assured him as he looked over his shoulder and caught sight of Sango coming out of the bathroom. "Feel free to watch T.V., he should be asleep in a few minutes."

She nodded in acknowledgement as she continued past them into the living room.

"Hey girl!" InuYasha drunkenly called out to Sango. "I hope you're not allergic to penicillin! _Pffft_!" He snickered with pride at his own joke.

Miroku gave a sigh. " _Get up_. It's time for you to go to bed," he said, reaching for InuYasha's arms to pull him back to his feet. He had always prided himself in being a patient person, but InuYasha was certainly beginning to put that patience to the test.

"But I'm not tired, Dad...I mean Miroku," InuYasha said, slapping his roommates hands away.

"Yes, you are. Come on." Miroku grabbed InuYasha by the ankles and dragged him into his horrendously messy room, kicking the clutter aside and practically throwing the hanyou turned temporary human onto his bed.

"Did you ever eat anything, or did you just drink and entire fifth of whiskey on an empty stomach?"

"I ate... _something_ ," InuYasha moaned.

"What did you eat?"

"Thirty pickles."

" _Thirty_? You counted?"

"It's a educated guess."

Miroku stifled the urge to laugh. "Are you hungry?"

"No. I can take my pants off now, then?" he asked, punctuating the sentence with a loud hiccup.

Miroku sighed. "If it will help you fall asleep," he said as he turned on the box fan that he knew InuYasha couldn't fall asleep without.

"Will you help me?"

"No."

"Alright," InuYasha said dejectedly as he untied the drawstring and removed his pants, revealing that he wasn't wearing anything underneath.

"Where are your underwear?"

"I ain't got no underwears."

"Yes you do, why are you lying?"

"I'm not lying!"

Miroku stomped over to InuYasha's chest of drawers, and pulled open the small drawer that he assumed was used as an underwear drawer, only to find it empty. "What did you do with them?"

"I threw them away," InuYasha said, pointing to a small trash can in the corner of his room, filled to the brim with boxers.

"Why did you do that?" Miroku asked.

"The better question is, _why not_?" InuYasha slurred, before bursting into a fit of giggles.

"Lie down and close your eyes."

"Why?"

"Because if you're not asleep in five minutes, I'm going to smother you with your pillow."

OOOOOOOOOO

"I'm really sorry about that," Miroku whispered after exiting InuYasha's bedroom about five minutes later and making his way into the living room where Sango waited patiently in front of the television.

She turned around to look at him over the sofa back. "How's he doing?"

"Well, as much as I don't love being _thrown up_ on, I think he'll sober up a little faster since he got some of the liquor out of his system. He giggled and sang himself to sleep, so his spirits seemed a little higher."

She snorted. "What did he sing?"

"Katy Perry."

Sango threw her head back and laughed heartily.

" _Shh_!" He shushed her, pressing a finger to his lips. "You don't want to wake him up again, do you?"

She held her hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter.

He chuckled. "I just don't want to have to listen to the chorus of ' _Firework_ ' on repeat for another five minutes."

"Is he any good?"

"No," he quickly and firmly answered, and they both chuckled quietly.

"Does he do this often?" Sango asked.

Miroku shook his head in the negative. "I've never even seen him get drunk before. It's really not like him to act like this at all. He's just been...out of sorts lately," he added.

"He just went through a breakup, right?" Sango said.

"Eh…" Miroku came around in front of the sofa where Sango sat and turned to look at her. "I don't think it's about that."

"Really? Do you think it's about..."

He shrugged, getting her unspoken implication as he began to unbutton his soiled shirt. "It's a lot of things, but I think that's a part of it. What you saw tonight. Please...just...be sure it stays between us, okay?"

Sango nodded in affirmation.

"I don't know what's happening with him. I've known him since we were kids as he's always been pretty even-keeled, emotionally anyways… Lately all he wants to do is mope and complain about how much he hates everything."

"You mean he hasn't always been like that?"

Miroku shook his head. "No, not really."

"Is he going to be okay?" Sango asked

"He'll be fine." He waved her off as he slipped his shirt from his shoulders. "I recorded him and sent the video to his phone, seeing that should be a nice incentive for him to get his shit together," he said chuckling.

The moment his shirt slid from his shoulders, all of Sango's attention was immediately drawn to his arms, every inch of which were entirely covered in tattoos from wrist to shoulder.

The image on the right bicep was a bronze Buddha statue and a pond filled with koi and lotus flowers on the forearm. The left arm was a complete contrast to the right, covered in what appeared to be the face of an oni in swirling black clouds. Its horns, fangs and blood red face looking similar to Western depictions of satan. In a bold move, Sango stood and approached him, reaching out and running her fingers over his left arm. "Wow…"

"Ah yes, I see you are admiring the regrets of my youth," Miroku said facetiously.

Sango raised an eyebrow. "You don't like them?"

"I hate them," he answered quickly. "They don't hold the same charm at thirty-two as they did at twenty-two. I always keep them covered up. I got tired of being passed over on jobs when I knew I put in a better bid."

"So people judge you based on your appearance…?"

"Well yeah, but I can't say that I blame them. I mean, if I was having my own house built, I don't know that I wouldn't choose the guy that _didn't_ have flowers tattooed all over his arms," he said candidly. "Real estate is a huge investment. Customers look for someone professional, and these," he lifted his forearms in front of him, "don't exactly scream _professionalism_. It's not the tattoos themselves that I hate, it's the hassle of having to keep them covered all the time, especially in the summer."

"Mm…" She nodded in understanding. "Well, I think they're sort of sexy," she said as she wrapped her hands around his bicep. "Is it an oni?" She ran her thumbs over the tattoo in question.

"It's a hannya mask."

Her brows shot up. "A hannya mask? Why on earth would you want that?" she asked him.

"I've always loved a jealous woman," he said, winking when her eyes lifted to meet his. "But only if she's jealous over me, of course."

"Somehow I have a feeling that's not true."

Miroku chuckled. "Okay, truth is, I just saw a picture and thought it looked badass. I had no idea what it was until after the fact."

Sango snorted. "Why am I not surprised…"

"And may I ask why it is that you were drawn to the oni and not the Buddha?" he asked her, raising a brow.

"I thought it looked sort of...dangerous, I guess," she answered, pursing her lips to the side as her eyes rose to meet his.

"Is that what you like?" She let out a gasp as he abruptly grabbed her around the waist and pulled her close. "A dangerous man?" he said, barely above a whisper, so close to her that she could feel his warm breath against her lips.

"No," she said, shaking her head and pulling back slightly. "What I like is a man who puts helping his friends before trying to get _laid_ ," she said with a smirk.

" _Hey_ , I was doing no such thing," he defended. "I assure you I have nothing but the noblest of intentions."

"Whatever you say."

"So, what else do you look for in a man?"

"Someone who's willing to admit his mistakes," she said as she once again ran her hands slowly down his marked arms. "Someone who works hard," she continued as her fingers slid down into his calloused palms. "A good kisser, of course…" She gave him a coy smile as she leaned forward ever so slightly.

"Of course," he mimicked, before closing the small distance that remained between them and pressing his lips to hers.

Sango had all but forgotten that her final prediction for this date included her denying him a goodnight kiss, but it seemed that where Miroku was concerned, she couldn't even predict her own actions.

She was pleasantly surprised by the gentleness of the kiss. She had somewhat expected something more aggressive and insistent; but this kiss wasn't demanding, nor was it chaste, not this...soft and sweet, but deep and heated and _over way too soon_ kiss...

"Mmm…" Sango sighed as they pulled apart, "three for three."

"You had doubts?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I guess I just figured you for the type of guy who would go right for the gold, if you know what I mean."

He chuckled. "I'd be lying if I said I haven't been that type of guy in the past."

"So what's changed?"

"The girl."

Sango smiled. "You _are_ just trying to get me into your bed, aren't you?" she teased.

"I wouldn't dream of it."

Sango raised her eyebrows at him, disbelieving. "Is that so?"

"Well, no. I can't guarantee that won't _dream_ of it."

She giggled and slapped his chest playfully. "Go put a shirt on, Casanova."

"Okay," Miroku said before releasing her from his arms, turning away and disappearing down the hallway. He returned a few minutes later wearing a fresh t-shirt. "Would you like anything to drink?"

"No thanks," She shook her head. "So...are you _really_ thirty-two years old?" she asked him, her tone disbelieving. Clearly the question had been on her mind during his absence.

He hesitated a moment, then answered. "Yes...is that bad?"

Sango shook her head. "No, you just don't really act your age...no offense."

"None taken."

Sango pulled her phone from her purse and let out a disappointed sigh as she checked the time. "I know I said I'd stay and watch a movie, but I just remembered I have to get up bright and early tomorrow morning to help a friend move."

"Ah. The true sign of friendship," Miroku said.

"Yes. Fortunately she's only moving from her childhood bedroom, so there won't be _that_ much stuff to carry, and not a lot of heavy furniture."

"Right," he said. "It's a catch twenty-two, having friends with nice things. Everyone thinks it's fun to have a friend with a pool table, until that friend asks you to help them move."

She chuckled. " _Exactly_. Luckily Kagome only has her bedroom furniture."

"Well, let me know if I can be of any assistance," he offered.

"Thanks, but I think we can handle it. She's got another friend coming to help too. He's little, but he's a youkai, so he's surprisingly strong."

"Yes, I've seen, first hand, some of the things that youkai are capable of. When we were in highschool, InuYasha and I got into a fight and he put my car in the school's dumpster."

She smiled and gave a gasp that radiated amusement. "He _didn't_ ," she said, trying to contain her laughter.

"Yes. He _did_ , and that's not even the worst thing he's ever done to me."

"I look forward to hearing more of _those_ stories."

"Maybe we can save them for another date?" he said suggestively.

She smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that."

"Let me give you a ride home?"

She waved him off. "No, thanks. I can handle myself."

"I don't doubt you can handle yourself, I'm just enjoying your company...and it's an awfully cold night."

Sango looked down at her bare legs and contemplated a moment before giving a little shrug and answering. "Sure, why not?"

And so, after driving her to her apartment and walking her to her door, the first of what Miroku and Sango both secretly hoped would be _many_ dates came to a close.


	20. It's Your Move

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha.

* * *

 **Phony Digits**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Twenty: It's Your Move**_

* * *

Kagome crouched down and rolled a wide ribbon of tape across the seam of the final box containing her earthly possessions. With a heavy sigh of accomplishment, she plopped back onto her butt on the floor and scanned the room with surveying eyes, taking in the view of the boxes, plastic totes, and few meager pieces is dismantled furniture that sat in her bedroom. _This is it?_ She thought to herself. _Well that's not very much..._

She decided she was going to have to do some major shopping if she was going to fill up an entire apartment. She hoped Rin would be more blessed with material possessions than herself. The thought that she didn't own a sofa, dining table, television, or even dishes and silverware hadn't even crossed her mind until this very moment. _Maybe Rin would like to go shopping with me sometime. That might be a nice bonding experience._

Kagome was drawn from her inner musings by the ringing of the doorbell downstairs, followed by the sound of the front door opening and Shippo's voice calling out " _Lucy, I'm home_!" in his very best Ricky Ricardo impersonation.

"Up here!" Kagome called down to him. "And you'd better have coffee!"

She listened as the sound of two distinct sets of footsteps made their way up the stairs and down the hallway to her room. Shippo and Sango appeared in the doorway, holding coffees in disposable travel cups stamped with a very distinct mermaid logo that was most certainly _not_ indicative of her regular coffee place.

Kagome took in a breath to speak, but before she could voice her question, Sango answered it for her. "A cute girl works there." She rolled her eyes and nodded toward Shippo.

Kagome narrowed her eyes and shot Shippo a condemning look. "Of _course_ ," she said as she stood and begrudgingly accepted the cup Shippo offered her. He smiled at her sheepishly as she brought the cup to her lips and took a sip of the mediocre coffee. "She better be _real_ cute, that's all I have to say."

"She _is_ ," Sango cut in. "He doesn't stand a chance in hell."

"Hey! Do too!" Shippo objected, but his two friends merely chuckled at his dismay.

"Come on," Kagome said. "Let's get this show on the road."

OOOOOOOOOO

Miroku was abruptly jerked from sleep by the loud banging of his roommates fists against his bedroom door.

"Get your ass out here right now before I break the fucking door down!" InuYasha called out from the other side.

Miroku immediately rose from his bed and quickly made his way to the door. He _and_ his door had learned from past experience, that InuYasha did not give empty threats.

"Fucking delete it," InuYasha said the second Miroku exited his bedroom.

"InuYasha, I assure you I have no idea what you're talking about," Miroku played dumb and he casually strode toward the kitchen.

"You know what I'm talking about. Now delete it or I'll beat your ass to a pulp!"

"InuYasha," Miroku said calmly, "I deleted it the second after I sent it to you. I just wanted you to see how foolish you're acting."

InuYasha sighed in relief. "How bad was it?" he asked reluctantly.

"Well, let's see…" Miroku raised his hand to his face and tapped his index finger against his chin. "You cried and rolled around on the floor for a while, of course, you already know that if you watched the video. Then you called me _dad_ and threw up on me while I was trying to take you to your room. Then you fell in the floor in the hallway and tried to take off all your clothes, but I stopped you because Sango was here…"

" _Shit_ …" InuYasha cursed, bringing his hands to his face. "That was Sango?"

"Yes," Miroku answered, then continued to recount the events of the night before. "And when I finally got you to your room you _did_ take off all your clothes...and I do mean _all_ your clothes...kudos, by the way…" he added jokingly and InuYasha rolled his eyes. "Then you started crying again. I couldn't make out a whole lot of what you were saying, but best I could understand you were upset about polar bears. You must have been watching the Discovery Channel while you were getting hammered. Then you let out a huge burp and giggled and wheezed about it for a solid two minutes before singing for several more minutes and finally passing out and snoring like a jet engine."

InuYasha cringed continually through the play-by-play. "Sorry if I ruined your date."

"Don't worry about it. You actually might have helped me out a bit."

InuYasha raised a brow. " _Really_? How?"

"She thought I was being a good friend, helping you out. She liked it."

"Girls…" InuYasha said shaking his head. "They like the weirdest shit."

"Hey, listen…" Miroku changed topics abruptly. "I'm really sorry I forgot about your birthday…"

" _Keh!_ " InuYasha scoffed. "As if I care about that."

" _Right_ …" Miroku said skeptically, "well I intend to make it up to you."

"Whatever."

"So…" He looked at his watch. "Shouldn't you be on your way to work right now?"

InuYasha shook his head. "I took a personal day. Rin's moving into an apartment and I told Sesshomaru I'd drive the truck for her."

"He can't do it himself?" Miroku asked as he turned to the counter and began preparing the coffee maker.

InuYasha shook his head in the negative. "He acts like it's beneath him, but really he just can't drive a stick shift."

Miroku chuckled, then he remembered something. Sango said she was helping Kagome move today also... "Is Rin moving in with a roommate?" he asked, his back still turned to his friend.

"Yeah, why?"

"No reason," Miroku said nonchalantly. "Do you know the roommate's name?"

"Is one girl not enough for you? Ya gotta go chasing after girls you haven't even _met_?" InuYasha barked.

"I wasn't asking for my own interests, I was merely curious."

"Well, I don't know who it is. Probably one of her friends from school. In other words, _way too damn young for you_."

" _Again,_ that wasn't why I was asking," he said, sounding slightly irritated. _It's a big city... It couldn't_ possibly _be her…could it? No...just a coincidence._ "Would you like some coffee?" he asked as he scooped the grounds into the filter.

"Yeah, put it in a travel thing though. I've gotta be out of here in like ten minutes. I'm already gonna get chewed out for being late as it is."

"Yes, dear," Miroku said facetiously. "Aren't you going to shower first?" he asked, pointedly looking his roommate up and down.

InuYasha shook his head. "No time."

Miroku sighed. _Well...in that case, I certainly_ hope _it isn't her…_

OOOOOOOOOO

Kagome, Sango, and Shippo loaded all of the boxes and furniture into the back of Shippo's pickup truck and Kagome's mother's car, and headed for the apartment.

Kagome arrived before her friends, and when she stepped into her new apartment she was met with the tall, imposing figure of who she could only assume was Rin's father. Judging from his appearance the man was clearly a youkai. That was surprising, seeing as how Rin was fully human, and Kagome had never even heard of a youkai adopting a human child. His silver hair hung in a braid down his back, so long that it almost reached his knees, and she couldn't help but find it odd that the man was wearing a suit to help his daughter move. His presence alone felt like a heavy layer of frost had settled in the living room.

"Hey, Kagome!" Rin poked her head out of one of the bedroom doors down the hall and called out an introduction. "Sesshomaru, this is my new roommate Kagome Higurashi."

The man gave a curt nod. "Sesshomaru Taisho," he introduced himself plainly.

 _She calls her dad by his first name? Weird…_ Kagome thought as she sat down the box she was carrying and extended her hand out toward him. "Nice to meet you Mr. Taisho."

"Likewise," the man said, his gaze never lowering from her face as he pointedly ignored her offered hand. "Rin tells me you work for the city police."

"Uh, yes sir." Kagome nodded nervously, lowering her hand and wiping her sweaty palm against her hip. "I'm not a police officer though, I'm actually umm...more of a scientist." Her eyes were constantly shifting, as his gaze was so intense she was struggling to maintain eye contact.

"And what is your field of expertise?" he asked.

"Ballistics."

"Do you own a weapon?"

Kagome sort of wished she knew what answer he wanted to hear. "Umm...Y-yes sir…" she answered.

"There is no need for formalities Ms. Higurashi. You may call me Mr. Taisho."

Kagome nodded. _How the heck is that any less of a formality?_

"What kind of weapon do you own?" he continued the interrogation.

"Umm...it's a forty-five caliber Sig Sauer pistol."

"Do you have a concealed carry license?"

She nodded. "Yes sir, uh, I mean Mr. Taisho," she corrected nervously. "Sango practically insisted I get it."

Just then the topic of conversation came through the door, with Shippo tagging along. Kagome silently thanked any god that was listening for the interruption.

"Hey Kagome!" Shippo chirped.

"Hey guys," Kagome greeted.

"Where do you want this?" Shippo said about the box he was carrying.

"Just anywhere out of the way is fine."

Kagome watched as Shippo and Sango walked past them, and sat the boxes along the back wall of the living room. As the two made their way back toward the door, Sango took advantage of her position of being behind Sesshomaru's back, and pointedly looked him up and down, waggling her eyebrows and giving Kagome a thumbs up. Shippo made a hand gesture that she didn't quite recognize, but was sure meant something obscene.

"Uh, Mr. Taisho, these are my friends and co-workers Shippo Pocket and Sango Miyahara," Kagome introduced in an effort to put an end to their childish shenanigans.

He turned slightly and nodded over his shoulder to the two new arrivals.

"Do you have a room preference, Kagome?" Rin asked as she came bouncing out of the hallway.

Before Kagome could answer, Rin's father interjected. "You will take the bedroom furthest from the door."

He didn't elaborate, but Kagome figured his strategy was to have the armed tenant sleeping closest to the entrance...either that, or he just thought of her as bait to distract any criminals from Rin...either theory seemed entirely possible.

"My brother should be arriving soon with the truck carrying Rin's belongings. I'm afraid I must be going now," he said as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, removing a business card and handing it to Kagome. "My personal number is on the back in case of emergencies. Rin has already given me your phone number."

Kagome nodded. "Thanks."

He turned to Rin and said a quick goodbye.

Kagome watched as Rin threw her arms around his waist in a hug and she couldn't help the mental image of steam rising from their embrace like warm water thrown onto an ice sculpture.

She almost chuckled at the silly thought.

After Rin's father exited they started in on the moving process, the three heading back down to the street to unload the truck. When Kagome stepped out of the building, her attention was drawn around the corner, where she saw was yet another, decided _less_ icy looking silver haired man pulling boxes out of a small rented box truck. No doubt this was Rin's uncle. She could hear the man softly cursing to himself as he worked. When he stood straight, she caught a clear view of two white pointed canine ears on top of his head. They rotated back towards her, evidently catching the sound of her approach. For a moment her heart began to pound, but her logical, scientific mind quickly shook off her anxiety. It was a big city, and there were plenty of people with ears like that. It couldn't possibly be him.

She took it upon herself to give an introduction. "Umm...Excuse me." she said as she approached him. "My name's Ka-" Her introduction died on her lips as he turned to face her, and she got a full view of his face.

"Kagome…?" InuYasha finished for her. He'd thought he smelled her scent when he arrived, but convinced himself it was only his still hungover mind playing tricks on him. "Hey...wha...what are you doing here? Do you live here?" he asked, pointing toward the building.

For a moment Kagome just stood there gaping, trying to register everything that was taking place. How could this be? Had Sango set her up? And if so, why hadn't he taken the time to at least look like he didn't just crawl out of a dumpster? Either way, he was, quite honestly, the last person she wanted to see today. The day she was taking a big step forward in life, and the man who had crushed her self confidence to a fine powder and caused her biggest setback. Just her luck...

"I _will_ live here, after today," she answered him flatly.

"Oh," he nodded slightly. "My niece is moving in here today too," he said, clearly oblivious to the situation.

"Yeah...I'm pretty sure she's my new roommate."

"Wait…" His brow furrowed. " _You're_ Rin's roommate?" he said, unable to hide the slight upturn of his lips, or the excitement in his voice.

Kagome let out a sigh. "Yes...but if I'd have known she was related to _you_ I would have never agreed to it," she said with a pout.

InuYasha crossed his arms. " _Really_ Kagome _?_ Am I _really_ that bad?"

"Yes," she said, mirroring his crossed arms and refusing to make eye contact with him.

"Well, that's really fucking childish."

" _You're really fucking childish_!" she yelled back at him before gasping dramatically and throwing her hands over her mouth. "You made me say _the 'F' word_!" she added in a loud whisper.

He found her reaction so incredibly cute, he had to fight the urge to pick her up and squeeze her. "So, I take it you haven't forgiven me then?" he asked with a smirk.

"I haven't really given you much thought at all to be perfectly honest," she snapped, placing her hands on her hips and finally turning to look at him. It was a lie, of course, but he didn't need to know that. "You look _terrible_ , by the way." She threw in an insult for good measure.

InuYasha smiled. "Well, you look…" he paused, looking her up and down. "You look really good actually…"

Kagome sputtered and turned away again, her face suddenly feeling rather hot. "Well, I need to get back to helping my friends."

InuYasha chuckled as he watched her scurry toward the building's entrance. "We're both going the same place, ya know. No point in running away," he called out to her back.

Kagome gave a frustrated growl as she picked up the pace and raced through the doors and up the stairs.

"SANGO!" she began to yell as soon as she reached her floor. " _SANGO_!"

As she entered her apartment she saw Sango's head pop out of her bedroom door, a confused look on her face. "You called?"

"Don't act all innocent! You _know_ what you did!"

"What...I... _did_?" Sango said, cocking her head to the side in confusion.

"Drop the act! I know you're friends with that...with that….with _THAT_!" she sputtered, pointing to InuYasha as he entered the front door, peeking sheepishly over the large box in his hands.

"InuYasha?" Sango said, clearly surprised. "What…? What are you doing here?"

"I'm just helping my niece move," he defended.

"Your niece? So...so you're Mr. Taisho's brother?"

" _Keh!_ _Mr. Taisho.._." he muttered. "I bet that pompous prick told you to call him that, didn't he?"

By this time Rin and Shippo had also come out to witness the excitement. "So you really didn't know?" Kagome asked, and Sango shook her head in the negative.

"I'd introduce you to my uncle, but it looks like you've already met," Rin said. "Here, let me take that." She approached InuYasha and held out her hands to take the box from his arms.

"I got it," InuYasha said, refusing to let her take the box. "So, how did this...I mean, how is it…" he shook his head. "Just _how_?" he asked in disbelief.

"Kohaku is Sango's brother," Kagome said as if that explained everything.

"Am I supposed to know who that is?" InuYasha asked.

"It's Rin's boyfriend."

InuYasha whipped his head in Rin's direction. " _Boyfriend,_ You say?" he said, raising his eyebrows and shooting her his trademark smirk.

Both of Rin's hands flew to the end of her ponytail and began twirling nervously. "Oh! Um...Yeah...did I not mention that before?" she said chuckling nervously.

"So, your boyfriend suggested Kagome for a roommate?" InuYasha reiterated.

"Well, technically he suggested _me_ to Kagome."

"So this is all just a complete coincidence?" he asked.

"It would appear that way," Sango said nodding.

Well, if _this_ wasn't a sign, InuYasha didn't know what was. "Kagome, can I talk to you?" he looked around the room at the three other sets of eyes watching them expectantly. "Alone?" he added.

"It'll have to wait," she said shortly. "We're in two-hour parking and we've already wasted enough time as it is."

"Well, when we're finished moving this crap, then can we talk?"

She took in a long breath and let it out slowly through her nose as she contemplated her answer. "Sure, why not," she resigned with a shrug.

InuYasha gave an almost imperceivable smile before saying, "Okay. Let's get to it, then," and heading in the direction of Rin's bedroom. Once inside, he quickly discovered that he had fortuitously parked the moving truck just below her second story fire escape, which was easily accessible to him given his advanced physical abilities. This was going to make the moving process a hell of alot easier.

He and Rin quickly worked out an efficient system. He would carry boxes from the truck up to the fire escape, and pass them through the window to her. Within twenty minutes all of the boxes had been moved inside, and all that was left was the furniture, which InuYasha reluctantly accepted help with carrying from Shippo. It wasn't that the furniture was too heavy for him to carry alone, it was just awkward to maneuver up the stairs. He made sure that everyone was fully aware of this indisputable fact.

With finally getting the opportunity to explain himself to Kagome as his motivation, InuYasha completed moving the furniture in record time. Now all that was left was to finish moving the rest of Kagome's boxed belongings and he would finally get his chance to set things straight. But how the hell was he going to do that? He hadn't even given any thought as to what he was going to say to convince her. _I'll just show her a picture of Kikyo. She'll have to understand if she sees for herself. I'm sure I have a picture of her on my phone...right? Yeah, of course I do... She was my girlfriend after all...of course I have a picture of her…I probably have tons of them..._ He internally mused as he headed out the door and back down the stairs to offer his assistance moving the remainder of Kagome's things. As he pushed open the steel door leading into the stairwell, a concerning scent reached his nose, and without a second thought he sprung forward, propelling himself down the stairs.


	21. Insult to Injury

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha

* * *

 **Phony Digits**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Twenty-one: Insult to Injury**_

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Kagome made her way up the stairs, her tongue protruding from the side of her mouth in concentration. She was having difficulty navigating her way up the steps when she couldn't see around the large box she held in front of her.

About halfway to the second landing, she miscalculated the height of the step, catching her toe on the riser and tripping and falling forward, the underside of her chin coming down hard on the cardboard box, causing her to bite her tongue. The pain, sharp and instant shot through her mouth like an electric shock. She turned and sat down on the steps, the pain in her tongue preventing her from noticing the second wound just below her right knee, where she had sliced it on the loose metal lip of the stair. Her grey yoga pants were torn, revealing the lacerated flesh which released a steady stream of blood that stained the already ruined pants.

Mere seconds after the fall, InuYasha was dropping down on the lower landing in front of her, a slightly panicked look on his face.

"What did you do?" he asked as he grabbed her knee to inspect the cut.

When she tried to speak, nothing but a garbled mumble and a trickle of blood escaped her lips before she threw her hand over her mouth and winced in pain.

"Did you bite your tongue?"

"Mmmhhmm." She nodded, her tough act being betrayed by her watery eyes. She wasn't sure if the tears were a result of the pain or the sheer embarrassment of the situation.

Without another word, InuYasha knelt down in front of her, removing his jacket and the gray t-shirt he was wearing underneath. Kagome sat silently, her blood-filled mouth suddenly feeling suspiciously dry as she watched him work. He tore away the lower portion of the pant leg, letting it fall down and gather around her ankle, and using his claws he sliced a long strip of cloth from his cotton shirt and carefully wound it around her knee, knotting it loosely. "This might need stitches." he said as he worked and she let out a little moan of objection in response.

Where he was leaning forward below her, she could clearly see every individual cord of muscle moving beneath the bronze skin of his sinewy shoulders. She caught herself unconsciously leaning forward to get a better view, her face was just inches from the top of his head, where his furry white canine ears lay almost flat against his hair as he focused on the task at hand. She had to fight the sudden urge to reach down and touch them. If not for the fact that he looked like he'd been swimming in a grease bin, she probably would have. His hair being pulled back didn't manage to cover up that it looked like it hadn't been washed in a week.

But greasy hair or no, she still thought he looked damn sexy...and she hated herself for it.

She was pulled from her musings when his head shot up, their noses almost touching. His eyes locked with hers, like sparkling faceted citrine stones. They were undoubtedly the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen. She had to keep reminding herself that they belonged to an asshole.

 _Why is he still staring at me?_ Kagome wondered to herself. _Wait a minute...why am_ I _still staring at_ him _?_

She tried to speak to break the tension, forgetting about the current condition of her tongue.

"Mmmpfftt Mmmhhmm Mmmfff," she tried to talk, then winced in pain.

It seemed that she was trying to tell him something, InuYasha was just sure of it, and he could tell from the look on her face that it was something of great importance. "Don't try to talk. You'll only make it worse," he said as he picked up his jacket and removed an ink pen from the pocket, shoving it into her hand. "Write it down," he said, standing and tapping the cardboard box that sat next to her.

He watched as she clicked the top of the pen and slowly and carefully wrote across the box:

 _ **Your hair smells like old potatoes.**_

InuYasha's eye began to twitch as he read her very important message. He looked down at her and she smiled and crinkled her nose up at him.

"That's _it?!_ " he barked.

Even despite her injured mouth she managed to let out a loud snort of amusement, followed by a round of giggles. InuYasha cringed at the sight of her teeth and lips stained red with blood.

"Cheeky wench is still a cheeky wench even when she's bleeding to death," he grumbled as he pulled his jacket back over his bare shoulders and zipped it up. Leaving the rest of the ruined shirt lying on the floor, he wrapped one arm around her back and the other under her knees in attempt to carry her up to the apartment.

"Mmmpphfff Mmm!" she scolded him incoherently while slapping his arms away and kicking her uninjured leg.

"I'm just trying to get you up to the apartment!" he defended.

"Mmm hhmm mmm!" She was almost growling at this point.

"Are you sure?" he asked. Somehow understanding that she was attempting to say 'I can walk.'

"Mn!" she nodded as she rose to her feet.

He turned and grabbed the box he had been carrying. "Put that box on top of this one," he said, nodding toward the one she had dropped.

She did as she was told, and began hobbling her way up the stairs just in front of him. InuYasha silently cursed the stacked boxes in his arms for obscuring the no doubt magnificent view of those yoga pants hugging her ass like a second skin. _Dammit cut that out!_ He internally scolded his brain for it's impure thoughts. _She's injured you fuckin' pervert._

He could hear her letting out grunts and hisses of pain as she slowly ascended.

"Kagome…" he said and hopped around her to the next landing and squatted down, boxes still in hand. "Get on."

She mumbled something unintelligible in response.

"Just get on, I'm not gonna bite ya."

Reluctantly she climbed onto his back, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and clamping her thighs around his waist since he had no free hands to hold her on. He stood and continued the journey up.

"Kagome! What happened?!" Shippo exclaimed, his canine senses alerting him to her injuries before anyone else as InuYasha carried her into the apartment. Sango and Rin came out of the bedrooms following him at the sound of the commotion.

"She fell walking up the stairs and cut her knee and bit her tongue. I'm going to take her to see a doctor," InuYasha said.

"Mn-mmm!" Kagome protested, shaking her head vigorously.

"You need to have that looked at Kagome," InuYasha argued.

"Mmm!" she pointed at Shippo.

"You want me to take you?" Shippo asked.

"Mmmhmm!" she hummed and nodded her head enthusiastically.

InuYasha let out a sigh as he squatted to place the boxes on the floor and let her off of his back. "Me and Sango will finish moving your stuff then." He didn't even try to hide the disappointment in his voice.

"Yeah," Sango chimed in. "Don't worry about a thing, Kagome. We will finish unloading the truck and you two can take your mom's car."

Kagome nodded before hobbling over to collect her purse from the coat hooks beside the door, and hopping onto Shippo's back. "I'll call you," Shippo called back to Sango. "Oh, and here's these." He pulled his keys from his pocket and tossed them to her. "Just take it back to my place when you're done."

"Okay. Text me later Kagome!" Sango called out to their backs as they exited and Kagome shot her a thumbs-up just before they turned out of sight.

Rin returned to her new bedroom, and Sango turned to InuYasha, who was still looking at the door defeatedly. "Bummer," she said, slapping him on the back. "Tough break."

"Maybe _this_ is a sign," InuYasha said, plopping down to sit on the stacked boxes and hearing the distinct sound of glass crunching. He cringed. "Don't mention that to Kagome."

Sango gave an amused snort as she dropped down to sit on the floor beside him. "Don't be so dramatic, InuYasha. You'll get another chance to talk to her."

"Maybe I'm not supposed to... I mean...really, I screw things up every time I try to talk to her...Maybe this is for the best."

"Maybe," Sango said with a shrug. "Or _maybe_ she just fell because she's clumsy and you're reading way too much into things."

He looked at her with raised brows. "Ya think?"

"Yeah, I think." she chuckled and slapped a hand against his knee. "Let's get this moving done so we can eat. I'm starving," she said as she stood.

"Yeah, me too."

"Have you eaten anything since last night's little drunken caper?" she asked and he shook his head in the negative. "Oh, and speaking of that, your little comment about penicillin...that was a _joke_ , right?" she asked hesitantly, as if she wasn't sure she really wanted to know the answer.

His brows drew together in confusion. "What did I say? I don't remember."

She sighed. "You said ' _Hey! Hope you're not allergic to penicillin!_ '. Or something like that..."

InuYasha laughed. "Yeah, I was joking," he said, before letting out another chuckle and adding. "That was a good one."

Sango rolled her eyes and slipped her phone from her pocket. "I'm going to a order pizza. What toppings do you like?"

InuYasha opened his mouth to answer, then paused for a few seconds before saying, "Let's just go there and eat when we're done."

"Why?" she asked.

"Well, Kagome isn't going to be able to eat anything solid, and I don't want her to come home to us eating pizza in front of her. She's probably just as hungry as we are..."

Sango frowned, looking somewhat guilty that she hadn't make that consideration herself. "Oh...I didn't think about that," she said. "Let's hurry and finish then, I'm about to get cranky hungry."

" _About_ to?" InuYasha teased and Sango swiftly administered a punch to his chest.

Sango and InuYasha made quick work of the few remaining boxes using his previous 'truck to fire escape' method. After moving Shippo's truck to a new parking space they walked down the block to the nearest pizza joint. They invited Rin, but she turned down the offer citing previously made, undisclosed plans that no doubt involved Sango's younger brother, although no one said as much.

"So, you never did tell me what happened between you and Kagome," Sango said casually before taking a swig of her beer. "All I know is what she told me."

"What did she tell you?" he asked with unmistakable curiosity.

"That you seemed disappointed when you saw her, then tried to friendzone her."

InuYasha sighed and leaned back in his seat. "I guess that is how it would have seemed."

"So what was really going on?"

"Well, I guess I _did_ try to friendzone her, that part is the truth. But I wasn't _disappointed_ when I saw her, I was just...shocked," InuYasha admitted and Sango didn't comment as she waited for him to explain further.

InuYasha reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. "It would make more sense if I just showed you."

Sango furrowed her brow curiously as she watched him tap at his screen and slide his thumb repeatedly up the surface of the phone.

InuYasha scrolled through his camera roll looking for a picture of Kikyo. Seventeen pictures of the inside of his pocket, forty-seven pictures of his mom's cat, four pictures of his brother wearing a pointy, party hat from Rin's birthday three years ago, a couple of embarrassing selfies that he was just _sure_ he'd deleted, a picture of some ducklings he saw at the park last spring, and precisely _ZERO_ pictures of his ex-girlfriend of five years. _Damn, why didn't I notice how shitty our relationship was before?_

"Shit…" he cursed under his breath.

"What is it?" Sango asked.

"Hold on," he said as he looked up Kikyo's company's website in a last ditch effort, and there, finally found a portrait of her. He passed his phone across the table to Sango and her brows raised in surprise as she took in the photo. "That's my ex-girlfriend. The one I had just split up with right before I met Kagome."

Sango continued to stare at the picture. "Wow…" was all she said in response.

"I can see why she misinterpreted my reaction...I should have just told her everything right then and there, but...it didn't seem like a good idea at the time," he shook his head. "I just wanted to cut and run. I thought it was something I wouldn't be able to look past."

"But it is, right?" Sango asked, passing his phone back to him and taking a bite of her pizza.

"I was over it later that same damn day...I think the initial shock just took over my brain and made me stupid."

"Boy, you must be shocked _a lot_ then," she teased.

"Keh," he scoffed. "Shut up...I just hope she'll give me another chance."

Sango smiled. "Well, just between you and me, you've _got_ a chance."

InuYasha perked up. "You really think so?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "I know so. I know Kagome better than anyone, and I don't have one damn clue why, but she's totally into you."

InuYasha crossed his arms and pouted. "Well you didn't have to say it like _that_."

"I know I didn't _have_ to say it like that, it's just fun to mess with you."

" _Keh_ ," InuYasha scoffed at her teasing. "Your phone's vibrating."

"What?" she asked, furrowing her brow.

"Your phone's going off."

"Oh!" she responded as she pulled her phone from the pocket of her jacket that lay draped across the seat next to her.

"Is it Kagome?" InuYasha asked, nonchalantly attempting to peek over at the screen.

"No, it's Miroku."

 **'How did the moving go?'** the message read.

"What does he want?"

"He's just asked how the move went."

"He knew you were helping Kagome move today?"

Sango nodded as she replied to the text with a single word. _'Interesting.'_

InuYasha was reminded of Miroku's questions that morning regarding Rin's new roommate. "The sneaky bastard knew," he said in realization.

"What's that?" Sango looked up from her phone, her brows drawing together in confusion.

"That sneaky rat knew that Kagome was Rin's new roommate and he didn't say anything."

 **'Interesting? How so?'** Was Miroku's response to Sango.

 _'I think you know.'_ Sango wrote back. "Yeah, I think he knows too." she told InuYasha.

 **'What are you doing now?'**

 _'I'm on a date.'_ After several seconds passed with no response, she held her phone out in front of her, snapped a picture of InuYasha and sent the photo with the caption _'Isn't he cute?'._

 **'Ha. Ha.'**

Her reply to him was a winking face emoji.

"Well," Sango looked at her watch. "I probably should get home. Do you want me to call you when I hear from Kagome."

"No thanks, I'll just call Rin later tonight."

Sango nodded before sliding out of the booth and putting on her jacket. "Well, guess I'll see you around then."

"Are you coming tomorrow?" InuYasha asked.

"Tomorrow?"

"It's Thursday."

"Thursday?" she questioned, still without any clues as to what he was talking about.

"Chinese take-out," he elaborated.

"Oh, right!" she exclaimed. "I completely forgot. Yeah, I'll be there."

InuYasha nodded. "Guess I'll see ya tomorrow, then."

"See ya!" she returned before making an exit.

As soon as she was out of sight, he removed his phone from his pocket and dialed Rin's number.

OOOOOOOOOO

Rin and Kagome sat side by side on Rin's bed, their backs supported with pillows against the headboard. "Would you rather watch a movie or a show?" Rin asked as she scrolled through categories on Netflix. "Oh! Have you seen this?" she asked as she stopped on a popular series and Kagome shook her head. "What?! You've got to be kidding! I thought everyone had seen it. Oh, Kagome you are going to love it!" She made her selection and began playing the first episode. "Is your tongue feeling any better? Do you need some more medicine?"

Kagome picked up a pen and wrote on the notepad between them. _**No thanks.**_

So far Kagome's experience of being Rin's roommate was a lot like being at the dentist, being bombarded with a barrage of questions that she wasn't physically capable of answering.

Just as the show began to play, Rin's phone started a jaunty jingle. She picked up the phone and looked at the display. "Surprise, surprise," she said facetiously, turning the phone toward Kagome so she could see who was calling. Rin gave a little giggle before pausing the television, accepting the call, and putting it on speaker. "Hey, InuYasha," she said into the device.

 _"Hey, is Kagome back yet?"_

"Yes."

 _"How's she doing?"_

Rin turned to her new roommate and winked."She's doing okay. Just had to get a few stitches in her knee, and the doctor said her tongue should heal in a couple days."

 _"What's she doing now?"_

"She's sitting on my bed with me, watching TV and drinking a…" Rin reached out and turned the can in Kagome's hand to read the label. " _Ensure_...whatever that is."

 _"Do you girls need anything?"_ he asked.

Rin gave Kagome a questioning look and Kagome shook her head in the negative. "No thanks. We're fine."

" _Okay...umm…Did she-_ " he paused as if he were contemplating whether or not to ask his pending question.

"Did she what?" Rin urged and she noticed Kagome leaning in to listen intently.

" _Nevermind. I'll let you guys get back to your show._ "

Rin noticed as Kagome visibly deflated in disappointment.

"Okay, talk to you later."

" _Hey, and one more thing._ "

"Yeah?"

" _Just...don't mention any of this to Grandma and Grandpa, okay?_ "

She shot a side eye at her roommate. "Any of what?"

" _About Kagome. Just don't mention that I already knew her before today._ "

"Why?"

The girls heard a loud rush a wind come from the phone's speaker that they could only assume was a heavy sigh. Kagome was starting to feel a little guilty about eavesdropping on a conversation that she was sure InuYasha didn't intend for her to hear. " _You know how Mom is. I just don't want her getting any big ideas. I'm sure they're both still pissed at me as it is for screwing things up with Kikyo._ "

"I won't say anything."

" _Okay, thanks. Will you call me tomorrow and let me know how Kagome's doing?_ "

"Sure."

" _Okay. Bye_."

"Bye," she said before disconnecting the call and turning to Kagome. "How do you and InuYasha know each other? I never got a chance to ask."

 _ **Long story.**_ Kagome wrote on her note pad and tapped her finger against her lips.

"Oh, right right. Yeah, you can tell me about it later when you can speak…" she paused for a moment before continuing. "You know, it's kind of a funny thing, but his ex-girlfriend looks almost exactly like you. I mean, you two could be sisters... _twins_ even. It's uncanny. When I first saw you standing in front of this building on Monday, I actually thought you _were_ her until Kohaku told me it was you. " Rin looked back over to Kagome, to find an indiscernible look on her face. "Do you know Kikyo?"

Kagome shook her head.

"Well, just so you know, I fully mean it as a compliment when I say you look like her. She's super beautiful."

Kagome gave a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Normally this was something she _would_ take as a compliment, but under these particular circumstances it made her feel more self-conscious than complimented. This certainly did explain a few things...namely the reason for she and InuYasha's less than ideal first meeting.

"But your personalities are different as night and day," Rin added.

Kagome supposed that was a good thing. InuYasha did seem interested in her before he ever even saw her face, that had to count for something. But while she felt it was more important to be attracted to some based on their personality, she certainly didn't want to be seen as some generic version of someone else. In fact, she didn't even want to be seen as an equal or _better_ version of someone else. She just wanted to be seen as Kagome. She wrote a message to Rin on her notepad. _**Why did they break up?**_

Rin shrugged. "I have no idea, but to be honest, I'm not really sure why they were together as long as they were."

 _ **They didn't get along?**_

"It's not that," Rin said shaking her head. "They got along just fine as far as I know. They just didn't have…" she paused and snapped her fingers. "Oh...what's the word...I don't know how to explain it...there was just... no _spark_ , do you know what I mean?"

Kagome nodded. She understood. She had been on enough _sparkless_ first dates to know exactly what Rin was referring to. Her mind was slowly putting the pieces together now. The disappointment she saw on InuYasha's face when they first met wasn't because he found her unattractive, it was because he was seeing someone else when he looked at her face. _What if he still sees someone else?_ The intrusive thought sent a pang of disappointment through her chest. She wanted to know who had broken up with whom, but Rin had already resumed the television show, and Kagome didn't really want to seem too interested in the subject anyway. The more interested she seemed, the more interested she was sure Rin would become and she was done discussing the issue. At least, she was done discussing it with people who weren't involved…

She glanced over at her phone, then lifted it in her hand, unlocking the screen and opening the message app. She wasn't sure if her courage was fueled by the information she'd just received from Rin, or from the painkillers, but she typed and sent the message with ease.

 _'Thank you for today.'_

Kagome smiled as she was met with InuYasha's simple and nearly instant reply: **'Don't mention it.'**


	22. On the Fence

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha.

* * *

 **Phony Digits**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Twenty-two: On the Fence**_

* * *

"Well, will ya look what the dog dragged in!" Miroku exclaimed as InuYasha entered their apartment and tossed his keys on the coffee table.

A muttered " _Keh._ " was his roommate's only response.

"So...anything interesting happen today?" he pried.

"Cut the act. You already know what happened today." InuYasha said as he breezed past into the kitchen.

Miroku stood from the couch and followed him. "Details, InuYasha! I need details!"

"No, what you _need_ is to get a life. And hey, by the way, thanks a fuckin' _lot_ for not telling me that Kagome was Rin's roommate," the hanyou snapped, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "She probably thinks I'm some dirty hobo now."

"Well, she thought you were a jerk before, right? 'Loveable tramp' has got to be a step up from 'arrogant asshole'," Miroku said, his brow furrowed as his gaze locked on the zipper of InuYasha's jacket where it rested against his chest, noticing that he didn't appear to be wearing anything underneath. "Are you not even wearing a shirt? Wow...I knew you were slipping, but I had no idea the extent..."

"I _wore_ a shirt, you idiot. It just got ruined," InuYasha said, rolling his eyes as he turned toward the hallway. "I'm taking a shower."

"Hey wait! I have something for you," Miroku called out to his back.

InuYasha turned back slowly. "What is it?"

"I mean, please, by all means _do_ take a shower, but first…" Miroku walked over to the kitchen counter, grabbing a white fiberboard box and bringing it over to the table. "Happy late birthday!" he said as he opened the box to reveal a dozen cream-filled donuts with pink frosting and rainbow sprinkles. "Do you forgive me for forgetting?"

With suspicion in his eyes, InuYasha scanned the donuts, then his roommate, then returned to the donuts before snatching one up and cramming half of it in his mouth in one bite. "I forgive you," he mumbled through the mouthful of sugar and dough.

"Well, if I knew it was going to be this easy to buy your forgiveness with just the donuts, I wouldn't have bothered with getting you these too," he said, pulling an envelope from his pocket.

InuYasha stopped chewing and lifted a brow at his friend. "What's that?"

"Opening day, Mets versus Phillies," Miroku said as he pulled the tickets from the envelope.

InuYasha wiped his free hand on his pants and took the tickets from his friends hand to inspect them. "Huh...decent seats," he idly remarked. "Four?"

Miroku nodded. "Well, I figured you might want to take someone besides just me and Sango."

" _Keh_! That's kinda presumptuous of you to invite _yourself_."

"It's common courtesy to invite the person who bought the tickets…" Miroku defended. "And besides, you like Sango don't you?"

"Yeah. I was gonna invite _her_ , but how do you know she won't want to bring some other guy?" he teased.

"Ha ha," Miroku said flatly. "Very funny."

"Wasn't tryin' to be funny." InuYasha said, shoving the remainder of the donut in his mouth and picking up another one. "You know she's a Yankee's fan though, right?" he said, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, I know," Miroku sighed. "I guess she had to have some flaw..."

Both men chuckled.

"I wonder if Kagome likes baseball?" Miroku asked suggestively.

InuYasha sighed at his friend's obvious attempt to change the subject and said. "You are such a nosey bastard."

"So what happened today anyway? Did she have dinner with you and Sango?" Miroku continued his questioning, unfazed by the insult.

"No."

Miroku frowned. "So is she still mad at you then?"

"She was at first, but...I don't know, we didn't get a chance to really talk. She had to leave because she fell and cut her knee."

"Is she alright?"

"Yeah, she's fine. She just had to get a few stitches. That's why I'm not wearing a shirt. I used it to bandage her leg."

"Oh, so you are her loveable tramp in shining armor!" Miroku teased.

" _Keh_. Yeah, sure. Anyway, she texted me and said thanks...so maybe she's not mad anymore. She didn't say anything about seeing me again though," he said before popping the last bite of his second donut into his mouth and reaching for a third.

Miroku pulled the box away from him and shut the lid. "I'm cutting you off."

"You shouldn't have got so many! You know I have no self control when it comes to food."

Miroku chuckled. "Listen, do you want my advice on this situation with Kagome?"

"No," InuYasha huffed.

"Well, too bad, because you're going to get it anyway," Miroku continued. "Don't wait to make another move. You've dragged this out too long already. Ask her to meet you again, talk things over, be _civilized_ , wear a _shirt_." He accentuated the statement with a poke to his friend's chest. "Just be yourself and don't over think things. Worst case scenario: she says 'no' and you can both move on with your lives. Can you do that?"

"Yes! Of course I can do that. Don't talk to me like I'm stupid."

"Don't be stupid and I won't."

" _Keh_!" InuYasha scoffed. "I'm taking a shower now." He turned and stomped his way down the hall, removing his jacket as he walked and bringing it up to his nose, breathing in the scent of Kagome on the fabric. He absentmindedly wondered how long the scent would linger. Maybe it would last until he saw her again...if he saw her again.

"Don't use my towel." Miroku called out to his back.

" _Keh._ "

"And don't use my razor."

" _Keh!_ "

OOOOOOOOOO

The following morning, Kagome awoke to a stiff knee, an achy tongue, and a metallic taste in her mouth. She sat up in her bed and surveyed the room, momentarily disoriented and confused by her unfamiliar surroundings. "Oh, right. New apartment," she mumbled to herself before slinging her legs over the sides of the bed and standing slowly. _Hey! I can talk again! That doctor wasn't kidding when he said that tongues heal fast._ Her tongue was still a little sore, and a little swollen, but leaps and bounds better than it was the previous night.

She hobbled her way down the hall to the bathroom, and after relieving her bladder and giving her mouth a good peroxide rinse, she headed for the kitchen. Along the way she heard a knock at the door, and diverted her path toward it. Furrowing her brow, she glimpsed through the peephole, and was met with the friendly and welcome visage of her mother.

"Hi Mama!" she exclaimed as she pulled open the door. "What are you doing here! I wasn't expecting you."

"I came to check on you. How are you feeling?"

"Better, but sore," Kagome answered as she backed up to allow her mother entrance. "How did you know I fell?"

"Shippo told me when he dropped my car off yesterday evening."

"Oh," Kagome said with a nod as she eyed the grocery bag hanging from her mother's wrist. "Whatcha got there?" she inquired.

Her mother smiled as she reached into the plastic bag and pulled out a box of popsicles.

Kagome let out an excited gasp. "For me?" she asked. No matter how old she got, she would never lose her enthusiasm for her mother bringing home popsicles.

"Of course they are for you, silly. I thought they might feel nice on your sore tongue."

"Thank you Mama!" Kagome said as the whipped her arms around her mother and squeezed her tight. "You're the best."

"Would you like one right now?"

"Sure!" Kagome said, reaching out to the box, tearing into it and pulling out a popsicle.

She inspected it carefully, holding it up toward the window, trying her best to see through the white wrapper to reveal the flavor underneath. She couldn't see anything, so she just hoped for the best. _Come on, be cherry!_ She thought hopefully as she ripped open the plastic to reveal...grape.

 _Oh well…_ Kagome sighed and popped the popsicle into her mouth. _Maybe next time._

"Why don't you go back in your room and relax while I make you some soup? Does that sound good?" her mother asked.

"That sounds great. I'm starving," she said as she wrapped her mother in another hug. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome dear. Now go lie down and leave the cooking to me."

Kagome limped back into her room, her injured knee held straight to keep from busting out the stitches. She plopped down onto her bed and grabbed her laptop. Rin was right about the show they had begun watching the previous evening. She did love it, it was addicting. _I wonder if InuYasha has seen it?_ She thought, then she shook the thought away. What made her think of him all of the sudden? She picked up her phone and looked at the time on the display. He was probably at work right now. _He's probably sitting at his desk thinking about what a clumsy loser I am...I wonder if he still wants to talk...what was it that he was going to tell me anyway? I_ _could probably just call and find out, but the last time we had a phone conversation it didn't go so well, so maybe that's not such a good idea..._ _We never seemed to have any of these misunderstandings back when we were just texting…_

Her eyes lowered back down to her phone and she stared at it contemplatively as she ate her popsicle. Maybe that was the best course of action. _But what should I say? Hey, Rin says I look just like your ex-girlfriend, maybe you could use me as a stand in. XOXO?_ Kagome giggled at herself as she tried to think of a conversation starter. As she twirled the soothing ice against her tongue, writing on the stick between her fingers caught her eye. The cheesy joke printed on the popsicle stick read: _**Why did the belt go to prison?**_ She would have to finish the rest of the popsicle to see the punchline. She smiled to herself as an idea came to her. She opened the message app on her phone and began to type a message to InuYasha. _'Why did the belt go to prison?'_

She clicked play on her laptop and began to watch another episode of the addicting series as she continued to eat the popsicle. She didn't expect him to answer right away, as she was sure he was at work, so it was a pleasant surprise when she heard her phone ding just a few moments later. She tossed her laptop aside, the show she had previously been so engrossed in quickly forgotten.

She found his response was merely a series of question marks. **'? ? ? ?'**

As quickly as she could without giving herself a brain freeze, she took several more bites of popsicle to reveal the answer underneath. She let out a snort of laughter before typing and sending him the punchline: _'Because it held up a pair of pants'_

 **'Did you make that up yourself?'** he responded.

 _'Got it off a popsicle stick'_

 **'Ah. I thought it seemed a little too clever for you.'** Kagome giggled at his teasing insult.

 _'Rude'_ she wrote back, accompanied by an angry, red-faced emoticon.

 **'How old are you again?'**

 _'Not nearly as old as you you dusty old fossil.'_

For several minutes he didn't respond, and Kagome was halfway concerned that she may have actually offended him. Then, finally her phone chimed at her side.

 **'How do snails fight?'** He came back with what she assumed to be a cheesy joke of his own.

She typed out _'how?'_ , but backspaced before she sent it as the answer suddenly came to her. _'They slug each other'_ she answered.

 **'You cheated and googled it didn't you?'**

 _'Nope. I'm just smart.'_

 **'No, that can't be it...'**

Kagome giggled at the screen, and before she could respond she received another message.

 **'You don't even know how to walk up stairs.'**

Her mouth fell open and she let out an indignant squeak. "That jerk!" she said to herself as she received yet another message from him.

 **'Too soon?'**

She let out a growl as she typed her message. _'Your mean!'_

 **'You're*'** he corrected her.

"Why that smug little...!" She let out another, slightly louder growl of irritation, this one mostly directed at herself for making the grammatical error. _'NEXT TIME I SEE YOU IM GONNA SLUG YOU LIKE A SNAIL!'_ she responded.

 **'Next time? Is there going to be a next time? ?'** The double question marks somehow gave the text a hopeful tone.

 _'Well I am roommates with your niece now...and I did promise you that talk so...'_

 **'I thought maybe you changed your mind'**

 _'I thought about changing my mind. My inner voice told me I should.'_

 **'Don't trust that guy. The last time I listened to him I ended up screwing things up with this girl I really like.'**

Kagome smiled to herself as she typed her response. _'Is that so?'_

 **'Yes. It was really stupid. If you want I can tell you all about it at dinner tomorrow night.'**

Kagome stared down at her screen, her heartbeat becoming steadily faster as she fought the inner battle with herself and her desire to accept his offer and throw caution to the wind. _I think he's worth a second chance._ Sango's words of advice rang through her mind. _A slow and_ cautious _second chance._

As much as she wanted to say 'to hell with logic', she typed a message in response. _'Dinner on a friday night sounds an awful lot like a date.'_

She wasn't the least bit surprised when she received his rejoinder: **'And that's a bad thing?'**

 _'Yes. I don't want it to seem like something it's not.'_ Kagome couldn't help but think that if they hadn't left their last meeting so ambiguous it could have saved a lot of heartache. This time when she saw him, it would be clearly and explicitly _not_ a date.

 **'If it's not a date then what is it?'**

 _'Just 2 friends eating and talking.'_

 **'What do you suggest then, friend.'** He said, conveying as much facetiousness as a text message possibly could.

Kagome rolled her eyes at the screen before suggesting the least date-like meal of the week. _'Lunch on Sunday'_

 **'Lunch on a Sunday is something you do with your grandma.'**

 _'That's my offer. Take it or leave it.'_

 **'Fine. I'll pick you up at 12 sunday.'**

 _'No, i'll meet you somewhere.'_

 **'That's stupid. I'll pick you up.'**

"Stubborn," Kagome said with a sigh. _'Ok but it's NOT a date. Got it?'_

 **'Fine'**

 _'Good'_

 _ **'Good'**_

 _'Fine'_

 **'I'll see you sunday then.'**

 _'Ok grandma.'_

 **'Cheeks wench.'**

 **'*Cheeky. damn autocorrect'**

 _'Lol. Cheeks.'_

 **'Go eat some popsicles and let your tongue heal. You're gonna need it for sunday.'**

Kagome furrowed her brow as she read the message, then let out a surprised squeak at its contents. _'whats that supposed to mean?!'_

 **'You'll need it for talking! Geez get your mind out of the gutter!'**

 _'What was I supposed to think! You could be a pervert for all I know.'_

 **'YOU could be a pervert for all I** **know.'**

 _'This conversation is going downhill fast.'_

 **'Rest and heal. I'll see you sunday at noon.'**

 _'Ok. bye'_

 **'Bye'**

"Hmm...that was kinda like old times," Kagome said aloud to herself before falling back onto her pillows and letting out a long sigh. "Friends." _Sure. We can just be friends. I have other guy friends. Like Shippo. Shippo's my friend...and Kouga is...sort of my friend, I guess…_ "But the difference is, I don't have depraved fantasies about either of them," she said as she slapped a hand over her face and let out a pained sounding groan.

"Everything okay?" he mother said from the doorway.

Kagome jumped slightly in surprise and her head turned to look at her mother. "Everything's fine," she said, hoping her mom hadn't heard her little monologue.

"Well, as long as everything is okay and you aren't being plagued by any depraved fantasies, dear," the older woman said, barely containing her mirth.

Kagome gasped as Mrs. Higurashi chuckled at her daughter's dismay.

"Is it anything I can help you with?" Her mother asked.

"I don't think so," Kagome said shaking her head.

"Would you like to talk about it?"

Kagome blew her bangs out of her face. "The universe is trying to play matchmaker with me."

Her mother chuckled. "And you don't like the person the universe seems to have chosen for you?"

"I _super_ like him actually," Kagome whined.

"So I take it he has some flaw that is making you feel hesitant to pursue a relationship with him?"

Kagome shook her head. "No, it's not really that either."

Mrs. Higurashi took a seat beside her on the bed. "So what is the problem?"

"I apparently look exactly like his ex-girlfriend."

"Ah, I see," her mother said understandingly. "So you are worried he is trying to use you as a replacement for her."

"Well, no, it's...not exactly that either. We sort of met before we ever actually saw each other's faces so that pretty much rules that out."

"Met before you saw each other?" Her mother asked.

"He's the guy I was texting a while back."

Mrs. Higurashi narrowed her eyes at her daughter and nodded. "Oh yes, I remember...the one you assured me you _weren't_ going to meet."

"Eh, yeah," Kagome gave a nervous chuckle. "That one."

"So have you spoken with _him_ about any of this?"

Kagome shook her head in the negative. "No. He doesn't even know that _I know_ about looking like his ex-girlfriend. My roommate Rin, who just so happens to be his niece, is the one that told me."

"Well, it sounds to me like _he_ is the one you need to be having this conversation with," her mother said. "That is, if you are interested in him."

Kagome sighed and pouted her lower lip childishly. "Do you think I'm blowing this out of proportion, Mama?"

"Yes, dear. You always blow things out of proportion," her mother said candidly, giving her a teasing smile and pat on the head. "You got that from your father's side of the family, not mine."

Kagome giggled. "Project calm on me, Mama."

"Okay sweetheart," her mother said as she leaned in and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "I need to go stir the soup so it doesn't burn."

"Thank you."

"You're very welcome," Mrs. Higurashi said as she stood and turned to leave.

"Mama?" Kagome called out to her again before she could exit.

"Hmm?"

"Can you make some rice, too?"

"Sure."

"And eggs and toast."

"Rice, eggs, and toast. You got it."

"Thanks," Kagome said with a smile before turning back to her laptop and feeling very grateful for such a wonderful, caring mom.

OOOOOOOOOO

"How's your tongue," Sango asked Kagome as the two of them met outside, and strolled into their usual coffee shop the following morning.

"Tongue's okay," Kagome answered flatly. "Ego's a little sore though…"

Sango chuckled. "I've seen you do _way_ more embarrassing things than this."

"Yeah, but not in front of anyone that _mattered_ ," Kagome complained.

" _Hey_!" Sango whipped her head around to give her friend an offended look. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."

"You know what I mean. You _matter_ , you're just not someone I feel like I have to impress."

"I know. I'm just messing with you," Sango said, patting her friend on the back. "So did you enjoy having a day off from work at least?"

"Not really. It was pretty boring actually. Mama came over and waited on me hand and foot while I laid in bed and watched movies. My first day of independence and I had to have my mom come nurse me," Kagome said with a sigh.

"Well, I hear weaning _can_ be very difficult for both mother and child," Sango teased.

" _Eww_!" Kagome crinkled her nose. "I meant nurse me _back to health_!"

Sango laughed at her friend's dismay. "Chill out, Kagome. I was just making a joke. Oh! And speaking of chilling, Mirkou is going to meet us here. I hope that's okay."

Kagome shrugged. "Fine by me. I've been wanting to meet him anyway...see if he's really worthy of you."

"Aww!" Sango said, wrapping an arm around Kagome's shoulder. "Are you trying to protect me, Kagome?" She chuckled.

"I will if I have to! You'd do the same for me wouldn't you?" Kagome turned and looked up at her friend.

"Of course I would! In fact, I _have_!"

"You have?! With who? Oh god." She slapped a hand over her eyes. "It wasn't InuYasha was it?" she whined. "What did you do?"

"Calm down, Kagome. I mean, yeah, it was InuYasha...and yeah, I yelled at him a little...okay, a _lot_ , actually...and I think I called him a stupid ass." Kagome's mouth fell open. "But in my defense, he _was_ being a stupid ass!" Sango added before Kagome had a chance to speak. "And I think he called me a psycho bitch." Kagome's mouth fell open again, even wider this time. "But in _his_ defense, I _was_ being a psycho bitch."

"When did this happen?"

"The first time I met him...about half a second in."

"Sango!" Kagome scolded.

"I didn't mean to!" Sango threw her hands up in surrender. "I just saw his face and it made me mad!" she defended, then the two girls turned to look at each other before both burst into a fit of giggles.

"That's actually a perfectly logical explanation," Kagome said, still chuckling. "So, Miroku's coming here? Didn't you just see him last night?"

Sango nodded. "Yeah, I think meeting you is his true motive for coming. I told him I get coffee with you every morning, and he basically invited himself."

"Why would he want to meet me?"

"He's nosey," Sango answered quickly.

"Oh," Kagome giggled. "Well, it sounds like you two already have at least one thing in common."

"Hey! I acknowledge my shortcomings I'll have you know!" Sango said, wagging a finger. "My flaws are endearing. They make me more relatable to the commoners."

Kagome let out a snort of amusement. "You're truly an inspiration to us simple folk," she said, patting her friend on the back. "I'll get our drinks. What are you having? Your usual?"

"Yep. Biggest and strongest," Sango said enthusiastically as she snagged a seat at an open table. "Same for Miroku too. He'll pay you back when he gets here."

Kagome nodded, headed up the counter and ordered their drinks. Upon bringing the coffee back to the table, Kagome found that Miroku had arrived in her absence and was currently too engrossed in conversation with Sango to notice her return. She sat the drink holder on the table in front of them, drawing their attention.

"Oh! Miroku, this is Kagome. Kagome, Miroku," Sango introduced them, pointing back and forth between the two.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Kagome," Miroku said, standing and extending his hand toward her.

"Nice to meet you too," she said as she accepted his offered handshake.

Miroku walked around the table and pulled out a chair for her.

Kagome thanked him as she accepted the offered seat and sent Sango a nod of approval.

Miroku then returned to his seat directly across from her and distributed the coffee accordingly before removing his wallet from his back pocket. "How much do I owe you."

"Um, it's three twenty-five."

"So...nine seventy-five for all three." he said as he pulled out a ten dollar bill and held it out to her over the table.

"Oh, you don't need to pay for mine." Kagome argued.

"I know." he said unmoving.

She lifted her hands in protest. "No really, there's no need-"

"It's impolite to argue about money at the table," he cut her of, still holding the money out to her insistently.

"Take it or I will," Sango said.

"Fine," Kagome grumbled as she snatched the money. "Thank you for the coffee," she added, somewhat begrudgingly.

"It's my pleasure," he returned.

A moment of awkward silence passed between the three as Miroku looked over Kagome's face appraisingly. He opened his mouth as if contemplating speech, only to close it abruptly, and further fuel the awkward moment.

Kagome took a sip of her coffee, all the while boldly reciprocating his inspection over the rim of her cup through narrowed eyes, as if in challenge. She wasn't sure what the hell kind of game he was playing, but she wasn't going to be bested by him. Finally she turned to Sango and asked. "Do I have something on my face?"

Sango shook her head in the negative.

"I'm sorry, Kagome. I was just lost in thought," Miroku finally spoke.

"About?"

He shook his head. "It's nothing, really. Just something InuYasha said…he told me that you resembled someone we know and...wow...you really do."

"His _girlfriend_ ," Kagome said, sounding slightly irritated. "Yeah, I already know."

" _Ex_ -girlfriend," Miroku corrected forcefully. "So I take it he finally told you?"

"No, Rin told me."

"Ah, Rin. I see," he said, pausing and looking at her face another moment before continuing. "I'm telling you, it's unsettling how much you look like her. It's not like a 'one of your parents was unfaithful' kind of resemblance, it's more like a 'I'm going to steal your identity' kind of resemblance," he stopped abruptly and let out a grunt as Sango threw an elbow into his ribs at noticing her friend's obvious discomfort.

Kagome looked down at her cup, fiddling with the insulated sleeve. "Yeah, I get the picture already."

"I'm sorry, Kagome...that was rude of me. It's just surprising, is all."

"Yeah, I'm aware, thanks," she retorted facetiously.

Sango pointedly cleared her throat. "Let's talk about something _else_ , shall we."

Miroku nodded. "Yes...something else...so have you talked to InuYasha?" he asked Kagome.

Sango slapped his shoulder with the back of her hand. "That's not exactly changing the subject," she told him, then turned to Kagome. "Have you though?"

Kagome chuckled at her nosey friend and contemplated what, if anything, she should tell them. "Yeah, we've texted."

"And…" Miroku drawled and he and Sango both leaned over the table.

" _And_ you need to mind your own business."

He deflated. "C'mon. I'm his closest friend. I could help you."

"Help me _what_ exactly?"

Miroku shrugged. "You like him, don't you?"

Kagome turned and narrowed her eyes at Sango, who looked away sheepishly.

"I don't know," she answered. "There's the whole 'me looking like his ex' thing. And plus, he's just... he's a lot older than me...and he's like so cool and good looking and I'm just an uncoordinated science geek who falls walking up stairs..."

"Whoa." Miroku held up a hand to cut her off. "Okay. I'm gonna stop you right there, Kagome. First of all, ' _So_ _cool_ '? Are you serious? We can't be talking about the same guy here? I've actually seen him wear socks with sandals on more than one occasion."

Kagome looked at him, unblinking. "But…"

"You're overthinking this. You're allowing yourself to be intimidated by a grown man whose favorite food is hotdogs."

"Is this supposed to be a sales pitch, because it sucks," Sango cut in.

"No Sango, I'm just trying to be encouraging," he defended.

"Encouraging her to what? Run away?"

"Look guys, I appreciated what you're trying to do here, but I think you two are reading too much into this, " Kagome asserted. "And with all due respect, I'd appreciate it if you would kindly cease and desist with the matchmaking."

"I'm very sorry Kagome. I was out of line. I hope I haven't made a bad first impression."

"No, Miroku, I know you have good intentions, I just, I don't know yet...I just don't know what I want."

Miroku nodded solemnly. "I understand." He looked at his watched. "Well, I really should be getting to work. It was a pleasure meeting you Kagome."

"You too," Kagome returned his sentiment.

"And are we still on for tomorrow?" he said, turning to Sango, to which she responded with an affirmative nod. "Excellent," he said as he leaned in and kissed her cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow then." He stood from his chair and grabbed his coffee. "You ladies have a great day."

"You too," Kagome returned with a smile and leveled her eyes on Sango, not missing the flirty smiles and winks the two exchanged.

"So...a second date, huh? Any special plans?" Kagome asked after Miroku had exited.

"If he doesn't come onto me or say anything suggestive the _whole_ night, I'm gonna invite up to my apartment and jump his bones."

"Sango!" Kagome gasped, then giggled. "What about your fifth date policy?"

"My fifth date policy can be waived at my discretion, and we've been hanging out a lot. He gets date credits for equivalent experience."

"Wow. I've never known you to break policy for anyone. You must really like him," Kagome said, taking a sip of her coffee.

"I'd really like to _bang_ him," Sango amended.

Kagome gasped, sucking coffee down her windpipe, launching her into a coughing fit. " _Sango_!" she scolded when she finally gained her composure. "What's gotten into you?!"

Sango shrugged. "He's gonna be good. I can just tell. He's got that _vibe_ , ya know?"

"No, I really don't know," Kagome said, shaking her head. "So, what if he _does_ come onto you or say something suggestive?"

Sango smirked and brought her coffee almost to her lips. "I'll probably just slap him, then jump him anyway."


	23. Third Time's the Charm

_**Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha**_

* * *

 **Phony Digits**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Twenty-three: Third Time's the Charm**_

* * *

Like every Sunday morning, InuYasha was drawn from sleep by the chiming of his phone. He didn't even have to look to know that it was a text from his mother trying to guilt trip him into going to church. He'd received similar or identical texts nearly every Sunday morning since he'd left home. He rarely acknowledged them, but as he was feeling uncharacteristically droll on this particular morning, he sent her a reply saying that he'd be attending Mass at _St. Mattress of the Springs_ , to which she didn't respond.

He had arrived at Kagome's apartment eighteen minutes early, and had sat in his car for thirty minutes, so as to arrive just late enough not to appear over-eager, yet not so late as to piss her off and make her change her mind about having lunch with him.

When he rang the bell, it was a sleep disheveled Rin who answered the door.

"Did you just wake up? It's after noon," was his cordial greeting.

"I got to bed late," she defended, followed by a yawn for dramatic effect. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"I'm here to pick up Kagome. She's here isn't she?"

Rin nodded and stepped back to allow him entrance. "Yeah. I think so. I just woke up when you rang."

" _I'm here. I'm coming!_ " Kagome's voice called out from the direction of her bedroom.

"She's here. She's coming," Rin reiterated and she and InuYasha both chuckled. "Are you gonna come in, or what?"

InuYasha stepped inside the door and took a look around the now furnished apartment as he entered. "You got furniture I see."

"Yeah, me and Kagome went furniture shopping yesterday and had it delivered."

InuYasha ran a hand over the obviously high-end leather sofa, and commented: "Still riding that gravy train I see."

"Hey! _You're_ the crazy one for _not_ riding it." Rin said, poking him in the chest with a freshly manicured finger. "You better believe _I'll_ be riding it off into the sunset." She plopped down on the sofa, grabbed the remote from the end table and turned on the TV. "Besides, Grandma and Grandpa _want_ to spoil us. Might as well do what makes everybody happy."

" _Keh_. Whatever," InuYasha responded just as he heard the sound he'd been listening for. The rattle and click of Kagome's doorknob.

He was relieved to see her emerge from her room with her usual bright smile plastered across her face. (That is, the bright smile she usually wore for her friends as opposed to the scowl she wore when fighting with him or bleeding out of the mouth.)

"Took ya long enough." InuYasha quipped before immediately kicking himself mentally for his uncontrollable rudeness.

"Don't act like I kept you waiting. You just got here two minutes ago. I heard you come in."

" _Keh_."

"Hey look! You guys match!" Rin cried out with a giggle pointing back and forth between them.

InuYasha looked over Kagome's outfit, then looked down at his own; their shirts were a similar shade of maroon, and the wash of their jeans was virtually identical.

"Hey, what are the chances?" Kagome said with a chuckle as she moved toward the door. "Are you ready to go?"

"You're not still gonna wear that, are you?"

Kagome looked down at her clothing and furrowed her brow. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Because it looks like we're wearing matching outfits on purpose."

"Inuyasha," Rin interjected, "you wouldn't have even noticed if I hadn't pointed it out."

"But the fact that you noticed means that other people will notice."

Kagome rolled her eyes theatrically and grabbed his forearm, pulling him toward the door. "C'mon, let's go."

"At least change your shirt."

"I'm not changing," she said in a tone that brooked no argument.

"Well, I ain't going out in public with you looking like tweedle dum."

" _Fine_ ," Kagome ground out. "I guess we won't be going _anywhere_ , then." She crossed her arms and planted her feet firmly on the floor. "And since we aren't going anywhere, I guess _you_ can just be on your merry way."

"Are you worried about running into someone you know, InuYasha? Because I don't think you have anything to worry about. You have to actually _know_ people in order to run into someone you know, Rin teased.

"Everybody's against me," InuYasha grumbled under his breath. "Fine. You know what, let's go. Who cares if we look like a couple of _weirdos_."

If she were anyone else he wouldn't let her call his bluff, but he could see that she wasn't going to budge, and he'd made a vow to himself that he wouldn't mess this up again. As much as he hated losing, winning wasn't worth blowing what would no doubt be his last chance to make things right with her. And as much as he also hated being interested in such a difficult girl, well, he just couldn't seem to get her out of his damn head.

So if being seen in public wearing matching outfits was what he had to do, then he'd do it, but that didn't mean he had to be happy about it.

The two of them said goodbye to Rin and left the apartment, heading down the stairs toward the exit.

"So, where do you want to go?" InuYasha asked her as they stepped out of her building and onto the sidewalk.

"I don't know. You're the one who invited me, I thought you'd pick."

"Well, I _thought_ about it, but I was afraid you'd think it sounded a little too much like a _date_ ," he said bitterly, "and _heaven forbid_."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Well, why don't we just walk around and see what we find?" she suggested. "Maybe we can find a place that will let you check your _attitude_ at the door."

"Ha. Ha. Very funny," he said flatly.

"I wasn't trying to be funny. Now c'mon." she encouraged as she briskly started her way up the sidewalk, towards the more business oriented end of the neighborhood.

"We're just going to waltz into some place we know nothing about?" he asked as he jogged to catch up with her. "What if the food sucks?"

"Then we'll know not to eat there again. Where's your sense of adventure?" she asked, slapping his arm with the back of her hand.

InuYasha rolled his eyes. "I'd _hardly_ call this an adventure."

"Look." Kagome said, pointing down and across the street to a place with a sign that read ' _The Pancake Pantry_ '. "What about that place?"

He shrugged. "That sounds okay...I mean, it's kinda hard to fuck up a pancake."

"InuYasha!" She slapped his arm again, this time significantly harder and with her open palm. "Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?"

He grimaced. " _No_ , why the fuck would I kiss my mother? That's disgusting."

Kagome gave him an impassive look. "You mean you've never kissed your mother on the cheek?"

"No. Why would I do such a creepy thing?"

Kagome only sighed and shook her head in response as the two of them made their way to the crosswalk—despite InuYasha's protests that simply _jumping_ across the street would be much faster—and entered the small, but busy, restaurant. There didn't seem to be a hostess anywhere in sight, and the wait staff were too busy to notice them.

"Are we supposed to just sit down or…?"

"I have no idea."

"See, I _told_ you we shouldn't have picked some random 'hole in the wall' place," InuYasha grumbled as he jammed his hands into his pockets.

Kagome sighed. "Come on, let's just find a table. Someone is bound to notice us eventually." She grabbed him by the shirt sleeve and pulled him along behind her toward an empty table that had caught her eye.

Along the way, InuYasha noticed Kagome exchange a friendly wave and passing 'hello' with a man sitting in a booth along with wall.

"Do you know that guy?" InuYasha asked as they took a seat.

She shook her head. "Not really. I went on a date with him once...but to be honest...I can't even remember his name."

InuYasha snorted. "Must have really left an impression." he said facetiously.

"Well, see, the thing is, I've been on so many terrible dates that Sango and I...well...we sort of got into the bad habit of referring to them by nicknames we would make up."

InuYasha raised a brow at her.

"I know, I know," she continued. "it seems sort of mean, but I promise you they were all asking for it. Like, the guy I just spoke to," she lowered her voice, "I called him 'Pickle' because I had a lunch date with him, and he took the pickle off of my plate and ate it without asking."

"And you wouldn't go out with him again over a pickle?" InuYasha asked incredulously.

"No, that's just how I came up with his nickname. I didn't go out with him again because he was was a domineering, condescending _jerk_."

InuYasha gave a nod of understanding. "So, what did you call me?" he asked with a sly grin.

"You already know, I called you 'Phony Digits'."

"No," he shook his head. "I mean, after we met in person and I pissed you off. What did you call me then?"

"I just called you by your name."

"Really? No 'rat bastard', or 'asswipe' or anything like that?"

She shook her head and giggled. "Not that I recall," she said, as she lifted the laminated menu from the table. "So, I wonder what's good here?"

"Well, I'm no expert, but since the _name_ of the restaurant is ' _Pancake Pantry_ ', I'm gonna go out on a limb and say probably pancakes."

Kagome lowered her menu and glared at him over the top. "No need to get snippy about it. Besides, don't you know you aren't supposed to judge a book by it's cover? Maybe they have world famous omelets or something."

Just then, the waitress arrived at the table to take their order. "Do you two know what you'd like or do you need a few minutes?"

"Do you have any recommendations?" Kagome asked her.

"Well, the pancakes are our most popular item," the waitress said, and Kagome pointedly ignored InuYasha's smug look of victory that she could see from the corner of her eye. " _But,_ " the woman continued. "I personally think the western omelet is the best thing on the menu."

Now it was Kagome's turn to gloat. "Oh _do_ you? _Well_ in _that_ case, I think I'll have the western _omelet_ ," she ordered, pointedly emphasizing all the right words to make her point. She turned to InuYasha with a smirk and an air of satisfaction as she passed her menu off to the waitress.

"And for you?" the woman asked InuYasha.

"Pancakes," he said, his eyes focused on Kagome's as if in challenge.

" _O-kay_ ," the waitress said, confusion and amusement written over her face in response to the bizarre standoff that seemed to be going on between the two customers. "I'll have that right out," she said with a smile before walking away.

"FYI, I don't share food, so I don't wanna catch you eyeballin' my pancakes when she brings out your shitty trash omelet."

Kagome rolled her eyes at him. "Look, I know we both have some things we want to say, and to be honest, I'm just ready to get it over with. I think the longer we put it off, the more tense we're both going to be, so can we get to the point of why we're here?"

InuYasha crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair. "Do you want to go first or should I?"

"I think it might be easier if I went first, since I think I already know some of what you're going to say," Kagome said.

He furrowed his brow. "You do?"

"Yeah...well, sort of. I mean, Rin may have mentioned something about me looking like...someone else."

InuYasha nodded and seemed to relax somewhat as Kagome continued.

"Umm...okay. So, I guess what I want to say is, I'm sorry I acted so... _crazy_ when we met before. I guess I sort of...built things up in my head and...I-I've never really been rejected before and I think maybe I had gotten my hopes up a little bit and…" she let out a nervous chuckle as she wondered whether her cheeks were as red as they felt. "Umm, I don't really have a good excuse. I jumped to the wrong conclusion, and my feelings were hurt and I overreacted…" she admitted honestly. "But, in my defense, if you would have just told me the truth then, we could have avoided the whole mess."

"I agree," he said with a nod.

"You do?" she looked up to meet his eyes.

"Yes, I do."

"Oh…" Kagome wasn't sure why, but she'd expected him to be more defensive. Her gaze dropped back down to where her hands were resting in her lap, fingers twisting together nervously. "So...yeah...anyway... That's pretty much it... I can see where you were coming from...although, it's _hardly_ fair to me. I mean, it's not like I can help how I look."

"I know that, Kagome, I know it wasn't fair to you, but in my defense, I was with her for a long time and we ended things on bad terms. I had no closure at all and I just…" he sighed and leaned forward on his elbows before continuing. "When I saw you at that coffee place… I just kept seeing Kikyo's face when I looked at you...and I admit I judged you unfairly because of that. It was wrong of me, I know, but I just didn't know what to think. I was blindsided..." He shook his head. "Maybe I thought it was a bad sign or something, I don't know, but...I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry, and I just wish you could forgive me and give me another chance."

"When you say 'another chance', what does that mean? Are you saying you want to start over from square one? Is that what you're asking for?" she asked for clarification.

He shrugged. "Well, square one...or two, or three... Whichever square we were at before everything went to hell in a handbasket."

Kagome let out a chuckle that trailed off to a moment of silence before she voiced her next question. "You said you didn't have closure with her before. Do you feel like you have closure now?"

He nodded. "I do have closure now."

"And who do you see now when you look at my face?" she asked.

"I see you." he answered with confidence.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive."

Kagome smiled, happy with his response, although there were still several more things she wanted to know. "Would it be okay if I asked you a few more questions?"

He nodded. "I don't see why not."

"How long were you and Kikyo together?"

"Almost five years."

She raised her brows in surprise, but didn't comment. "And did you break up with her or was it the other way around?" she continued.

"Well, _technically_ it was the other way around, but it was a pretty mutual split."

"What made her decide to end things?"

"We just weren't on the same page. We never really had been, truth be told."

"How so?"

"We just weren't compatible...actually, I believe _mismatched_ was the word she used."

Kagome nodded. "Five years seems like an awfully long time to stay with a person you're incompatible with."

"I don't think either of us ever really realized we were incompatible until after it was over. I got comfortable with our arrangement. It was a convenient, low-maintenance relationship, and that worked for both of us for a while, but inevitably she decided she wanted more and I didn't."

"So she _outgrew_ you." Kagome said, her tone slightly condescending.

InuYasha shook his head. "I thought that too, at first, but now that I've had time to think about it, I don't really think that's the case. I mean, she was always way more mature than me, I won't deny that. But I think deep down she always thought that I was eventually gonna turn into some slick-suit, corner-office big shot. Or at least she hoped..."

"Well you certainly are loyal, I'll give you that much," Kagome said.

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"If it causes you to waste years of your, _and_ someone else's life on a stagnant relationship, then yeah, it _is_ a bad thing."

"It wasn't loyalty that kept me with her, I told you, I just got comfortable with the way things were and I hate change," InuYasha had begun to notice a change in her disposition over his last few comments. "I know I'm not exactly sayin' all the right things here Kagome, but I'm just being honest with you."

"Oh, I know...and I appreciated it. But just for the record, it's better to be dumped than to be strung along. I think any woman would agree with me on that," Kagome said in response. It was more than a little concerning to her, the fact that he would stay in a relationship for _years_ for little more reason than he didn't like change. She'd give him the benefit of the doubt, since she didn't know both sides of the story, but still, it was concerning. It certainly wasn't the sort of relationship she'd ever want to find herself a part of.

"I never thought of what I was doing as stringing her along, and she never thought that either. I thought we were on the same page, and if I'd have talked to her half as much as I'm running off at the mouth right now with you things would have probably played out differently. Communicating never was our strong suit, but trust me, I've felt my fair share of guilt over it and I promise you it's not a mistake I'll ever be making again."

"So basically, what you're saying is that you stayed with her because it was better than being single?"

"Well...I mean…" he hedged. "I don't know if I'd say it like _that_ …"

"But I'm not wrong, am I?"

"I guess you're not _completely_ wrong…"

"You know, InuYasha, maybe it would be _good_ for you to just stay single for a while," she suggested. "To face that fear of being alone."

"I don't have a fear of being alone, I just don't _prefer_ it. Nothing's ever gonna change that. It's just the way I'm wired."

"Well, I still think it would be good for you."

"Well, I _don't_ ," he firmly disagreed.

"And _why_ , pray tell, is that?" Kagome asked.

He shrugged. "Personal reasons."

Kagome pursed her lips and folded her arms over her chest. "Are the _reasons_ personal, or is _a person_ the reason," she asked pointedly.

" _Keh_ ," InuYasha scoffed weakly, not missing her insinuation.

Kagome giggled at his obstinance. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

InuYasha looked up and sighed in relief at the sight of the waitress heading their way. He couldn't think of a time he'd ever been happier to see food arriving, and for him, that was really saying something.

The waitress sat their food in front of them. "Does everything look okay?" she asked.

"Is this it?" InuYasha said, looking down at the three enormous pancakes stacked before him.

"No. They're all-you-can-eat. I can bring more when you are finished with those."

"I can eat a _lot_ more than this," he told her.

"Would you like me to bring you more now, sir?" the woman asked, her cheery tone obviously false.

"Yeah. And bring like twice this much," he said, pointing to his plate.

"Of course," she said. "I'll have it right out."

Kagome kicked his shin under the table when the waitress was out of earshot. "InuYasha!" she scolded.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"For you being a jerk to the waitress! You'd better leave her a nice tip."

"I wasn't being a jerk." The sincerity in his tone convincing her that he really didn't believe he was being impolite.

"Yes you _were_ you rude dude!"

" _Rude dude_?" he repeated with a chuckle. "Is that supposed to be an insult? Damn. Someone needs to teach you how to cuss."

"I know how to cuss, thank you very much. I just choose not to because I'm not a-"

"Rude dude," he finished for her with a smirk.

"Just eat your stinkin' pancakes," she grumped as she grabbed her fork and dug into her food, closing her eyes and letting out an _'Mmm.'_ after her first bite.

"Good?" InuYasha asked through a mouthful of pancake.

"Yes. Yours?"

"Never met a pancake I didn't like," he said before continuing to shovel.

Kagome smiled. "So what kinds of things are you into? I mean, besides eating and trying to turn everything into a competition."

He shrugged. "I don't know. The usual stuff I guess. Baseball. Pretty much all sports really. I like going camping and that kinda stuff. I don't go as much as I used to, though."

"Do you go by yourself?"

"Sometimes," he nodded. "Sometimes Miroku would come with me, but the last time I took him was a couple years ago. We were planning on hiking the Appalachian Trail. Not the entire thing, of course. I mean, I'd _like_ to, but I could never take that much time off work and neither could he. Anyway, we headed north, and on the second day he stepped in a hole and broke his foot. We had to call someone to come pick us up at the nearest access point, which was _nine miles_ south from where we were and I had to carry him back the entire way... Last time I _ever_ go hiking with a human, I can tell you that much. They just aren't cut out for the wilderness thing."

"They? _I'm_ a human, you know," Kagome said.

"Oh, _how well_ I know."

"So, what if I wanted to go camping sometime...you wouldn't go with me?"

"No I would not," he stated matter-of-factly.

" _Ah_!" she squeaked. "Why not?"

"Because your clumsy ass would probably fall over a cliff or something."

"I think I'm a little more coordinated than that!"

"Says the girl who falls going _up_ the stairs."

"Are you ever going to stop teasing me about that?"

"I don't plan on it."

Kagome crossed her arms in a huff. "Fine. I wouldn't want to go camping with you anyway. You'd probably _push_ me off a cliff."

InuYasha chuckled. "So what kinda things are you into?" he turned the question on her. "You don't exactly seem like the outdoorsy type."

"Well, I _might_ be the outdoorsy type," she argued weakly. "But to be honest, I wouldn't really know. I've never taken the time for that sort of thing...or much of anything just for my own enjoyment. School and work have always taken up most of my time," she said, sounding disappointed.

"It's paid off though, right? I mean, you've gotta be like one of the youngest people ever to have your job."

"Well, I'm not really sure about that, but I finished highschool in three years, graduated from university and got all my firearms and toolmark examiners certifications in three more, then worked and studied under an expert with the state police for a year before getting this job just a few months ago. I had no social life at all until I started working at my current job. Never had time for it."

"Social lives are overrated anyways," InuYasha said.

Kagome chuckled. "You are so depressing."

"So are you a cop? I mean, like, could you arrest someone?"

Kagome shook her head in the negative. "No. Why?"

He shrugged. "Just curious."

"Have you ever been arrested?" she asked him.

His fork stilled in the space between his mouth and plate. "Eh…" he hedged.

"I'll take that as a yes," Kagome said. "What was it for?"

"Um…" He lifted his hand go rub the back of his neck. "I'm gonna go with vigilante justice."

Kagome laughed. "Fighting, then?"

"Well, the first time was when I was fourteen and I punched a guy for insulting my mother. I won't repeat what he said, but I promise you I was justified on that one. Not to mention he was older than me, _and_ a full blooded youkai...fucking coward..."

"You said 'the first time'? So you've been arrested more than once?"

He nodded. "Four times actually."

Kagome's eyebrows raised at his admission. "Any of them recent?"

"No," he shook his head, "the last time was almost ten years ago."

"And all four times were for fighting?"

He nodded. "Yes. And all four times I was provoked. None of them ever pressed charges though. He never admitted it, but I think my old man probably paid them off. Either that or they were just too ashamed to admit they got their asses handed to them by a half-breed."

Kagome winced at his derogatory choice of words, but chose not to comment on them. "So what does he do for a living?" she asked. "You're dad, that is." She'd been curious ever since realizing that InuYasha's father was the owner of her apartment building.

"His company builds giant gaudy houses for people who've got more money than they've got sense."

"And they build apartment complexes too, right?"

InuYasha shook his head. "No, those buildings are just investments. His company didn't actually build them. My brother manages all the rental properties. He's got that certain constitution that makes him a good property manager."

"The bureaucratic type I take it?"

"No, more like a _dictator_ type," he corrected.

Kagome giggled. "Yeah. He's a little intimidating."

"Don't let him intimidate you. He likes it. Don't give him the satisfaction."

"The way Rin talks about him you'd think he was a saint. She's crazy about him."

"No, Rin's just plain _crazy_. Period. That's the only way to explain it. No one in their right mind could be crazy about that asshole."

"So the two of you have never gotten along?" she asked.

"No."

"Not even when you were kids?"

He shot her an incredulous look. "Kagome, he's over two-hundred years old. He was an adult when I was born."

Kagome's mouth dropped open. "Oh wow...I didn't even think of that… No offense, but he looks _younger_ than you."

He snorted. "Yeah, trust me, I know. "

"So, you said your parents moved to the U.S. before you were born, right?"

InuYasha nodded. "Well, that's the short version."

"What's the long version?" she asked.

InuYasha chuckled. "Somehow I just _knew_ you were going to ask for the long version."

"Well?"

He inhaled deeply. "My mom was born and raised here in the city. My dad met her when he was here on a business trip in the late seventies and she moved back to Japan with him for a few years before he decided to move his company here. I'm the third generation born in the states on my mom's side of the family. Her parents—my grandparents—met in an internment camp in Arizona when they were teenagers, and both of _their_ parents were immigrants."

"Aww...it sounds like there's a romantic story in there somewhere."

" _Keh!_ Romantic my _ass_ ," InuYasha scoffed. "I don't think they ever even talked to each other. I'm pretty sure all their children were somehow conceived telepathically."

Kagome laughed. "Are they still alive?"

"No, my grandpa died when I was maybe ten or so, and my grandma died last year."

"I'm sorry," Kagome said sympathetically.

"Don't be. I barely even remember my grandpa, and my grandma was the actual devil incarnate."

Kagome snorted. "That's a terrible thing to say," she said, trying to stifle a giggle. "Don't you know you aren't supposed to speak ill of the dead?"

"I don't care. She was pure evil. After my grandpa died she came to live with us and she treated us all like shit. My dad used to say grandpa died just to get away from her. She was a nasty old hag. She called me 'cat ears' my whole life, never _once_ called me by my real name. She treated me and my dad like dogs. And I'm not speaking metaphorically. I mean she _literally_ treated us like we were _actual_ dogs."

Kagome frowned. "That's horrible…"

"Tell me about it. The first time I brought a girl home to meet my parents, she smacked me in the nose with a rolled up newspaper for putting my elbows on the table. I've never been more fucking embarrassed in my life…" he chuckled, making light of the situation.

Kagome let out an appalled gasp. "InuYasha, that is _not_ funny…"

"Well, it wasn't funny at the time, but I can joke about it now."

"You shouldn't joke about it at all," she said.

"It feels good to joke about it. I hated that old hag. To this day the smell of sewing machine oil makes me physically ill."

"Sewing machine oil?"

"Yeah, she was a seamstress and she was so stubborn she refused to use anything but her old treadle sewing machine. One year my mom got her an electric sewing machine for Christmas and she threw it in the pool."

"Wow. How petty."

"Well, the whole thing started because my mom converted religions just to piss off my grandma, then she would buy her Christmas gifts every year just to rub it in."

Kagome snorted. "So your mom was being passive aggressive too."

"Yeah, it was the only language my grandma could understand," he joked. "Anyway, enough about my dysfunctional family, what about yours?"

"I told you about my dad before, right?"

InuYasha nodded.

"Well, me and my mom and brother moved here from Japan after he died to live with my grandpa."

"Why does he live here?"

"The company he worked for sent him here to manage one of their factories. He's retired now though and actually lives in one of those fancy senior citizen community things. My mom and brother still live in his house. My brother will be graduating highschool in a couple months, and my mom is a school nurse."

InuYasha just gave her a blank stare.

"What?" Kagome asked. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No, that's just the thing. You didn't say _anything_ wrong," he answered. "If I'da known your family was the Cleavers I wouldn't have told you all my dysfunctional family shit."

"The Cleavers?" Kagome repeated, furrowing her brow in confusion.

"Yeah, you know _._ Like from the TV show."

Kagome shook her head slowly in confusion.

InuYasha gave a frustrated sigh. "Nevermind. All I'm sayin' is...well...your family sounds awfully normal compared to mine."

"Oh, I'm sure your family's not _that_ bad."

"Yes they are. You'll see."

"I will?" she asked, thinking he was getting a little ahead of himself.

He nodded. "It's only a matter of time before they pop in unannounced to visit Rin. I'm kinda surprised they haven't already."

While they were talking, the waitress brought the rest of InuYasha's pancakes along with their bill, which both of them grabbed simultaneously.

"I got it," InuYasha said, tugging the slip of paper out of her hands.

"No," Kagome said as she made a quick grab for it, but he was quicker and snatched it away.

" _I said_ I got it."

"And _I said_ this isn't a date, so I'm paying for my own meal," she argued.

"Why are you so damn adamant about that anyway? What would be so wrong with this being a date?"

"You said it yourself. You just got out of a relationship. I just don't think now would be the best time for you to jump into anything."

"Not the best time for _me_?" he said, pressing a hand to his chest. "Don't tell me what's best for me, and don't put words in my mouth."

"Those words came out of _your_ mouth, mister. Now give me the check," she said, thrusting her hand out toward him.

"No. I invited you to lunch, and I'm paying. End of story."

"Fine," Kagome huffed. "I'll just pay next time then."

"Fine," he said, looking down at the bill and trying to hide his excitement at her insinuation that there would be a 'next time'. "And just so you know, that whole argument was worth six dollars and twenty-five cents. I hope you are proud of yourself."

"It's not about the money, it's the principle of it."

He gave her an incredulous look, shaking his head in disbelief. "You're the most stubborn person I've ever met, I swear to god."

" _You_ are calling _me_ stubborn?" she folded her arms over her chest and let out a derisive snort. "Talk about the pot calling the kettle black."

InuYasha grabbed his napkin, balled it up and lobbed it at her, bouncing it off her nose.

Her mouth fell open in surprise. "Oh, that's _real_ mature," she said as she picked a cube of ham from her omelet and chucked it at him in retaliation.

The tiny chunk of meat sailed through the air, nearly clearing InuYasha's head, and it would have, had it not been caught by one of his pointed ears and fallen down inside.

"Dammit!" InuYasha cursed. "Why did you do that?!"

"Do you think I did that on purpose?" she defended.

"Oh yeah, right. As if you could. You probably couldn't hit the broad side of a barn," he quipped as he carefully picked the ham from his ear and popped it into his mouth.

" _EWW_!" Kagome exclaimed with a visible cringe. " _Tell me_ you didn't just eat that!"

"What?" he shrugged. "It's _my_ ear. It's not like I ate it out of somebody else's ear."

"That is _the_ most disgusting logic I've ever heard."

InuYasha just chuckled and started back to shoveling pancakes into his mouth.

"Miroku was right. You are _not_ a cool guy." she commented off-handedly.

InuYasha looked up from his food and furrowed his brow. "Miroku?"

"Yeah, you know, Miroku. You're roommate. Black hair, about yea tall." she said facetiously, holding a hand above her head.

He rolled his eyes. "I just didn't know you'd met him, is all."

"I just met him the day before yesterday. He had coffee with me and Sango."

"Why were you all talking about me?" InuYasha asked.

"Uh...he was just...uh…" she tried to come up with a quick lie. She wasn't about to admit the truth, that they'd been talking about how she was intimidated by him. "He was just wondering if I'd talked to you since moving day."

"And me not being a 'cool guy' had something to do with that somehow?"

"Umm...I don't really remember what brought it up." She felt slightly guilty about lying.

" _Keh_. He doesn't usually need a reason to insult me. He was probably just being an ass."

Kagome giggled. Relieved that he seemed to be dropping the subject. She looked down to her plate at the half eaten omelet. "Do you want the rest of this?" she asked, lifting the plate toward him.

He nodded and took the plate form her hands, dumping the omelet on the plate with his pancakes and handing it back to her. The two of them continued to make small talk while InuYasha finished both of their lunches and paid the bill.

"So, are we good now?" InuYasha asked her as they walked the short distance back to her building.

"Good, as in…?"

" _Good_ , as in, are you over being butthurt?" he elaborated.

She shot him an angry look. " _Excuse_ me, but I had a valid reason to be _butthurt_ you jerk."

"Whatever, just answer the question."

Kagome let out a long-suffering sigh. "Yes we're _good_. For now anyway..."

"So, what? Are we like, calling a truce or something?"

"No, it's called _making friends_ , InuYasha. I know it's apparently a totally foreign concept to you, but you should try it sometime."

" _Keh._ I have friends."

"Oh really?" she said, raising an eyebrow at him skeptically. "Name one friend besides Miroku."

"Sango." he shot back.

"Someone you don't know through Miroku."

He paused a moment, then asked, "What was the name of that little guy that helped you move?"

"They don't count as a friend if you can't even remember their name."

"Okay, _fine_ ," he huffed. "I don't have any friends. Is that what you want to hear? Does that make you happy?"

Kagome smiled at him. "You've gone from having only one friend to having three. You're doing pretty good!" She exclaimed as she patted him on the back.

He was sure the deceptively friendly gesture was meant to be patronizing—although he was too busy enjoying the physical contact to care. "Three?" he questioned

"Yeah. Miroku, Sango and _me_." she said, pressing a hand to her chest. "You consider me a friend, don't you?"

 _Friend._

Why did the word sound more like a curse than a blessing?

" _Keh_. Yeah, I guess," he responded as they approached the front door of Kagome's apartment complex.

He opened the door for her to enter, and as he made to follow her she turned around and halted him with a hand to his chest. "Where do you think you're you going?"

"Don't you want me to walk you up?" he asked, sending a confused look down to her hand, then back up to her face.

"No," she quickly answered. "This isn't a date, remember?"

He rolled his eyes at the seemingly broken record. "How could I possibly forget? I was just trying to be chivalrous or whatever."

"Well, thanks anyway, but I'm perfectly capable of getting upstairs by myself," she said, and instantly regretted her choice of words, realizing that she'd set herself up to be teased.

"You sure about that?" InuYasha said with a smirk.

She turned and narrowed her eyes at him. "You're already on thin ice. Don't press your luck."

" _Keh_ ," he scoffed, shoving his hands in his pockets. "It was just a joke. You shouldn't be so sensitive."

Kagome sighed as she turned and headed toward the stairs. She could see the downward trajectory of the conversation and was determined to leave on friendly terms. "Bye, InuYasha," she called out over her shoulder.

" _Keh._ Bye. Take the elevator," he responded.

"Take a hike!" she loudly retorted, just before disappearing through the stairwell door.

InuYasha shook his head and chuckled to himself as he headed back out to the street. The cheeky wench sure was a lot of trouble, but somehow he had a feeling she'd be worth it.


	24. Flying By the Seat of Your Pants

_**Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha.**_

* * *

 **Phony Digits**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Twenty-four: Flying By the Seat of Your Pants**_

* * *

"All I'm saying is, if time travel _is_ possible, then wouldn't someone have seen a time traveler by now?"

Kagome gave an annoyed sigh in response to her friends rambling. "I already told you I agree with you, Shippo. Why are we still talking about this?" she said as she dropped her face into her hands, rubbing her fingers over her temples.

The fox youkai furrowed his brow and looked her over with concern. "I'm sorry Kagome, are you feeling under the weather?"

"Just a headache."

"Oh…" he nodded knowingly. "Is it because it's your... _girl's time_ ," he whispered.

She lifted her head and rolled her eyes. "Shippo. Is nothing sacred?" she huffed. She had come to accept the fact that working and being friends with youkai left her with very little personal privacy. Still, it was annoying as hell.

"I'm sorry, Kagome. I forgot you don't like me to talk about that."

"It's just personal Shippo. If I wanted to talk about it, then I would bring it up myself."

He nodded in understanding. "So, what do you think about this," he said, pointing towards a weathered skull that sat on his examination table. It was the reason he had called her down to the lab in the first place, before he became lost on a tangent about the probability of time travel.

Kagome patted down her lab coat pockets, and finding nothing asked, "Can I borrow a caliper?"

Shippo nodded and bounced over to the cabinets that lined the wall of the lab, retrieving the measuring tool and handing it off to Kagome. She pulled on a latex glove and set to examining the obvious entry and exit gunshot wounds on the skull. "It was at least a forty-four...probably a forty-five. That's really the best I can tell you without any shell casings. They were on their knees and the shooter was standing."

"Point-blank, then," Shippo commented.

"Definitely. In fact, it looks like it was probably a contact shot." She placed the skull back on the table and looked at it thoughtfully, trying to recall if there was anything familiar about the case, but coming up with nothing. Her impeccable memory had solved a couple of tough cases in the past, and had become something of a claim to fame there at the precinct. The first time it had happened, most of the detectives had brushed it off as a stroke of luck, but after a repeat performance, they'd hailed it as a stroke of genius. But solving cold cases was Kagome's passion, and if that meant spending most of her free time studying and memorizing case file details, then so be it.

Shippo thanked her and removed a small spiral notepad from his pocket and jotted down notes. He looked up at her and noticing her pensive look asked, "Any connections?" his tone hopeful.

"Hm...no. Sorry," she said with a shake of her head.

"I'm gonna be doing my first official reconstruction on this one," he added excitedly.

"That's great!" Kagome encouraged him with a pat on the back. While her tone was sincere, her current state of malaise was impeding her usual enthusiasm.

Shippo raised his wrist and looked at his watch. "You should go home and get some rest. It's almost quittin' time anyways."

She sighed. "Yeah, I might do that. I don't have anything to work on right now anyway."

"In our line of work I'd say that's a good thing," he said with a chuckle.

Kagome smiled. "I guess that's true...not very good job security though," she said as she made her way towards the door. "I'll see you in the morning."

"See ya!" he called to her back as she made her exit, nearly running into Sango and Kouga as she stepped out the door into the hallway.

"Oh! Hey, Kagome!" Sango said enthusiastically.

"Hey guys," Kagome greeted them as she fell into step beside them. "Sorry I missed coffee," she told Sango. "I just really needed that extra twenty minutes of sleep this morning."

Sango waved her off. "Don't worry about it. I completely understand."

"I was up half the night cramping," she elaborated. "I thought my insides were going to fall out."

"Been there," Sango commiserated.

Meanwhile, Kouga walked alongside the two women silently. Not entirely sure whether or not either of them remembered he was still there.

"So I haven't seen you since your date this weekend. How did it go?" Kagome asked Sango.

"Oh, it was great," Sango answered, and in her tone there was both something sincere and something sarcastic that made Kagome narrow her eyes in silent question. "We went out to dinner and he was a perfect gentleman the whole time. No suggestive comments or cheesy pick up lines or anything. So when he brought me home I invited him in to hang out or _whatever_ ," she accentuated with a waggle of her eyebrows that made Kagome giggle. "Anyway, he comes up to my apartment, we start watching a movie, all the pieces were set, the game was in motion…"

"And…?" Kagome prodded.

Sango sighed. " _And_ next thing I know I'm waking up on the couch alone…"

"You fell asleep?" Kagome asked, trying to stifle a laugh.

"Yeah. When I woke up it was morning, he was gone, and there was a note from him apologizing for not waking me up to say goodbye...the poor bastard never even knew that the gettin' was good…" she added dejectedly.

Kagome snorted a laugh. "So do you think this has the potential to turn into something serious?"

Finally Kouga decided to chime in. "I've had to listen to her whine about this for the last _seven hours_. She's totally infatuated with this guy."

Kagome raised her eyebrows and turned to Sango. "Totally infatuated?"

"I think it has the potential for something serious," Sango admitted. "But it's probably just as likely that I only need to get him out of my system, if you know what I mean."

Kagome chuckled. "I wish I knew what you meant, but I've yet to even find a guy with relationship potential, much less had him 'in my system'." She punctuated with air quotes.

Sango raised a skeptical brow in her friends direction. "Oh, right. Yeah, Kagome. Sure. Of course not. No. Never..."

"Why do I get the feeling you're being facetious?" Kagome asked.

"Because I am. Big time," Sango said, straight faced.

"Well," Kouga interjected, "you never know Kagome. Mr. Right might come along when you least expect it. In fact, he might have been standing right in front of you all along…"

Kagome fought the urge to roll her eyes. "Umm...yeah...thanks for the...optimistic outlook Kouga," she said appeasingly as they came to the door of her office. "I'm heading home early guys. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Oh, but I wanted to ask about your date!" Sango pouted.

" _Your_ date?" Kouga added.

"It _wasn't_ a date!" Kagome corrected. "And we can talk about it another time. Tonight I have a date with my heating pad."

Sango frowned but otherwise conceded as the three of them said their goodbyes and parted ways for another day.

OOOOOOOOOO

 **What do friends do together**

InuYasha typed the phrase into Google and hit _enter_.

 _God, I'm so pathetic…_ He thought to himself as he let out a dramatic sigh.

He sifted through the results, finding that most of the suggestions he came across were either super girly, or obviously directed at children—and as tantalizing as a water balloon fight with Kagome sounded, he was relatively certain she wouldn't be down for it.

He clicked another link and began reading the suggestions. "Spa day?" he muttered to himself. " _Keh!_ Like hell!"

Since Kagome had made it clear that she was presently only interested in his friendship, InuYasha had resolved to be the best damn friend she'd ever had. There was just this one teeny, tiny little problem—he really had no earthly idea how to go about it. He'd spent the last couple of days trying to formulate the next move in his master plan to win her heart. A plan that, so far, involved doing fruitless internet searches while eating two whole party-size bags of jelly beans.

InuYasha popped the last remaining handful of candy into his mouth and let out a disappointed sigh. Why was this so damn difficult? Being friends with Miroku had always been easy. All InuYasha had ever had to do was find out what Miroku was doing, then casually insert himself into the activity. Well, that is, if the activity was something he wanted to insert himself into. Maybe that was how all friendships worked…? He wasn't sure. He didn't have quite enough real-life experience to compare. Either way, it was all he had to go on, so he figured it was worth a try.

Removing his phone from his breast pocket, he opened his text app and typed a message to Kagome. **'What are you doing?'**

He returned to his web browsing as he awaited her reply.

It wasn't too long before the chiming tone of a received message met his ears. He eagerly opened the message to find the simple, one-word answer: _'Cramping.'_

"What the fuck?" InuYasha cursed and shuddered. **'GOD WHY'** was his dramatic response.

 _'Why do you think?'_

 **'I meant why did you tell me that?'**

 _'Because you asked.'_

 **'Well lie next time.'**

 _'You are such a drama queen.'_

Inuyasha stared down at the message on his screen, feeling the urge to send a petty insult and further exacerbate the bickering, but then he thought better of it. What the hell was he trying to accomplish? Their relationship was basically in a trial period, and so far he was doing a piss-poor job of being a friend, much less anything more. It was going to be a struggle for him, but he was determined to makes amends for his less than exemplary first impression.

 **'Do you need anything?'** he asked, mentally saying a prayer that she wouldn't ask him to buy tampons, but reluctantly admitting, if only to himself, that he was willing to do whatever needed to be done to get himself in good standing with her.

 _'Not unless you have any ice cream.'_ she responded, and he let out a relieved sigh.

 **'Sorry fresh out. Food doesn't last too long around here.'**

' _Bummer_ '

InuYasha leaned back in his chair, tapping his claws against the arm as he contemplated his next move. He may not have ice cream at his apartment, but he was sure he could find some place that sold ice cream between here and Kagome's apartment.

OOOOOOOOOO

Kagome was relaxing on her bed, watching funny cat videos on YouTube when she heard a knock on her window. Her _second story_ window. Immediately she tossed her laptop to her bed and dove over to her nightstand, grabbing her handgun out of the small drawer.

As she tiptoed over to the window, she heard another knock. Using her thumb, she clicked the safety down on her pistol before slowly reaching forward and pulling down on the window shade. When she released it, it quickly shot up to reveal InuYasha standing on her fire escape holding an ice cream cone in each hand. On his face was a look of slight surprise, quickly followed by a look of amusement. Certainly not a typical reaction of one being held at gunpoint. It was the reaction of someone either incomparably stupid, or extraordinarily brave. Kagome had a feeling that _stupidly brave_ was probably the most fitting description of the man standing before her.

She placed her gun on her desk, and slid open her window and InuYasha immediately hopped into her bedroom. "InuYasha!" she said in a scolding tone. "What are you doing here?!"

"I was just walking by and saw your light was on…" he said as he casually strolled over to her, trying not to focus too intently on her manner of dress, which consisted of a thermal pajama set that somehow managed to cover every inch of skin, yet leave very little to the imagination.

"You were just walking in my neighborhood," her gaze dropped down to his hands, "carrying two ice cream cones...?" she said disbelieving.

He nodded, shooting her a sly grin. "Chocolate or vanilla?" He held out both cones in her direction.

"Chocolate," she answered, snatching the swirled, soft-serve ice cream and immediately bringing it to her lips. He may be a creepy stalker, but she wasn't going to turn down free ice cream. "You weren't hoping for the chocolate one were you?" she asked as she made her way over to her closet and stepped inside.

"Nope. I knew you'd pick the chocolate one because you're a girl," InuYasha answered.

" _Hey!_ " Kagome squeaked, poking her head out of the door to give him a withering glare. "And just what is _that_ supposed to mean?!"

He shrugged. "All women love chocolate."

"That's masochistic!" she called out.

InuYasha furrowed his brow in confusion. "Umm...are you sure you don't mean _misogynistic_."

"Oh...yeah," she said as she emerged from her closet now wearing a fluffy blue robe over her pajamas. "That's what I meant...what did I say?"

"You said masochistic."

"Oh, right. Sorry. I've just had that on my mind a lot lately I guess."

InuYasha gave her an incredulous look. "You've had _masochism_ on your mind a lot lately...do I even wanna ask?" he said as he plopped down in Kagome's desk chair and proceeded to eat his ice cream in a way that made her face feel hot.

"Just work stuff…" she waved him off, taking a seat on her bed. "You know," she gripped her free hand around her throat and made an exaggerated choking sound to make her point. "Some people are into that sort of thing, ya know. Unfortunately, sometimes they like it a little too much and end up in the morgue."

InuYasha gave her a look of surprise. It never ceased to amaze him how someone so seemingly shy and innocent could suddenly become so blunt and morbid at the drop of a hat.

"I'm sorry," Kagome said, noticing the lull in the conversation. "I did that thing again where I say something inappropriate and make everything awkward...Sango tells me I have a split personality that I transform into when I talk about work stuff. She's not totally wrong though. I do like to separate my personal life from work. You kinda have to, when you do the type of job I do. If I got too emotionally invested I'd probably end up becoming callous like most of my colleagues. Either that, or I'd become a hermit and never leave the house for fear of getting murdered," she gave a mirthless chuckle.

"I don't think I've ever met anyone quite like you, honestly," InuYasha said as he continued to make her shamefully jealous of an ice cream cone.

"Is that a good thing?" she asked.

"When you're not trying to _shoot_ me, it is," he said, nodding towards the handgun that rested on her nightstand.

"So, from now on you want me to just open up my window to whatever _weirdo_ decides to crawl up my fire escape?!"

" _Keh! No!_ But I'm not a weirdo, and I didn't _crawl_ up the fire escape...I just jumped up."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Still, you have to admit, it's a pretty weird thing to do. Not to mention totally illegal."

InuYasha sighed. "Well, I was gonna come to the door, but then I realized that Rin might be here, and I didn't bring her any ice cream."

"Couldn't you have just given her yours?"

"Not a chance," he said as he bit into the cone. "Besides, if she wanted ice cream she could probably just call Alfred and have him bring her a cone."

Kagome furrowed her brow and asked, "Who's Alfred?"

InuYasha shrugged. "I don't know, Kagome. It was just a joke."

"How is that a joke? It doesn't make any sense."

"I meant like rich people have their servants bring them whatever they want, whenever they want."

"Oh...well why did you choose the name Alfred?" she continued to pry into the failed joke.

"I don't know. Wasn't that the name of Batman's slave?"

Kagome snorted. "He wasn't his slave, he was his butler."

"What's the difference?"

She rolled her eyes. "Well, a butler is an employee. They can quit if they want to. Their employer doesn't _own_ them."

" _Keh!_ " he scoffed. "I still don't see the difference. An employer just owns you until you decide you'd rather be owned by somebody else."

Kagome smiled and shook her head. "You could turn diamonds into coal with that attitude of yours. Are you always so negative and cynical?"

"Yes," InuYasha answered quickly and seriously.

Kagome looked towards him, finding him focused intently on the ice cream in his hand, which he ate with unmatched enthusiasm. "I don't know how you can even taste your food when you eat it so fast," she remarked, absentmindedly wondering whether his unbridled passion for food might reflect in other facets of his life. Clearly it didn't reflect on his work life, of that much she was certain.

He shrugged and answered, "I don't know either, but I can taste it just fine."

Kagome's text alert chimed on her phone and she checked the message. It was from Rin, saying, **'Is someone in your room?'**

 _'It's Inuyasha.'_ Kagome responded.

"Who was that?" InuYasha asked, obviously trying—and failing—to sound nonchalant.

"That was just my boyfriend. He's on his way over now," she said with an expert poker face.

InuYasha's mouth fell open as if he were going to speak, but no words were forthcoming. It took everything within Kagome's being to maintain a straight face.

"I-I can't tell if you're being serious or not." he finally spoke, and Kagome laughed at his dismay.

"I'm joking, InuYasha," she said as he text alert sounded again. "It's Rin. She was just asking if I had company. She must have heard us talking through the walls."

Kagome opened the new message from Rin and rolled her eyes as she read. **'Are you two getting it on?'**

"What did she say?" InuYasha asked.

Kagome narrowed her eyes at him. "You sure are nosey."

" _Keh!_ " he scoffed, turning up his nose at her in a pouty sort of way. "Like I care what the message said."

"Hey, let me ask you something," Kagome said, tossing her phone aside and turning the conversation in a different direction. "How did your brother end up with a human daughter anyway? I've been dying to know."

"Hmm...who's the nosey one now, eh?" InuYasha teased and Kagome merely gave him an unamused look in response as she awaited his answer. "He's not her _real_ dad."

Kagome rolled her eyes. " _Obviously,_ InuYasha _._ I'm not stupid. What I'm asking is, _why_? Why would a single youkai want to adopt a human child?"

"Well, it's a long story, but I'll give you the condensed version."

Kagome scooted to the edge of the bed, preparing to listen intently.

"Sesshomaru is really rich and has household employees that live with him, like a maid, a chef, a personal shopper, that sort of thing," he counted off on his fingers. "In other words, he's a major _tool_ who thinks he's too important to wipe his own ass. Anyway, Rin was the daughter of his maid, and she had lived her whole life there in Sesshomaru's house. When Rin was in elementary school her mother was killed in a car accident. No one but her mom knew who her biological father was, and she took that secret with her to the grave. So that basically made Rin an orphan. Her mom's family had cut them off years ago, and refused to have anything to do with her, so Sesshomaru decided to adopt her rather than leave her to...whatever fate an eight year old orphan would have."

"And they just handed a little girl off to a single man who was no relation to her."

"No," InuYasha shook his head. "They wouldn't. My parents actually ended up adopting her. So _legally_ she's my sister and his half-sister. But he raised her...well, a nanny that he hired raised her anyway...and she thinks of him sort of like a dad I guess," he said as he lifted the final bite of his ice cream cone. "Best part of the ice cream," he said as he popped the cylindrical bite into his mouth with an obscenely loud crunch.

"You like the butt of the cone best?" Kagome said with a grin.

"Well, I prefer not to think of it as a _butt,_ but yeah," he said as he stood from the chair. "Well, I guess you probably want me to get out of your hair and let you get back to…" He scanned her room and noticed the heating pad lying on her bed. "Cooking yourself or whatever it was you were doing before I got here."

"Bleeding internally," Kagome supplied.

InuYasha cringed at her comment. "Yep. That is _definitely_ my cue to leave," he said as he turned back toward the window.

"You don't have to go right now," Kagome quickly interjected. "I'm not even finished with my ice cream yet." She held up half eaten cone in confirmation. "And talking helps take my mind off of the pain...I mean...unless you have somewhere you need to be."

"I'm not in any hurry," InuYasha said, returning to the desk chair and plopping down. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Kagome furrowed her brow. "Help?"

"Yeah, you know...with your... _situation_ , or whatever," he said, shifting in his seat uncomfortably.

"Oh. No. Not unless you can go inside me and make the pain go away," Kagome whined and wrapped her arms around her torso, completely oblivious to the suggestive nature of her words.

"Uh…I just meant like get you some Tylenol or something," he clarified.

"Oh, I know," She giggled and waved a hand at him dismissively. "I was just being silly. Obviously you can't _literally_ go inside my body."

He just stared at her in disbelief. Was it possible that the innuendo went over her head... _twice_? Could her mind really be so fucking pure? The very same woman who was talking so casually about death by erotic asphyxiation not ten minutes ago? Or was he just a pervert? He didn't know which it was, but he'd prefer to think it was the former. Although he supposed it was also possible he'd just spent way too much time around Miroku...

He was blanking on things to say at this point—as he was most definitely not going to share his debased thoughts with her—and the two of them fell into a somewhat awkward silence for several seconds as Kagome continued to eat her ice cream. Then, he noticed as suddenly she drew in a sharp breath through her nose and her eyes grew wide. She stopped eating her ice cream and slowly her eyes rose to meet his, a look of utter mortification on her face. "Oh my god! I didn't mean it like that!" she said, slapping a hand over her eyes and falling back onto her mattress. "Kill me now!"

InuYasha barked out a laugh, both at her embarrassment, and at her delayed reaction.

Even as embarrassed as she was Kagome couldn't help but relish in the sound of his laughter. Hearing it was such a rare occurrence, it almost made ther complete mortification worthwhile. She decided to make it her personal challenge to try and hear it as often as she possibly could.

"I know you didn't mean it like that," InuYasha assured her.

"I was just thinking like, a _Fantastic Voyage_ kind of thing," she explained.

"I know, Kagome. Stop fretting. It's fine," he said as he noticed a box sitting on the floor near his feet. Through the open flaps he could see a framed picture of what he assumed was Kagome's family. "Do you care if I look?" he asked, pointing to the box.

She peeked through the hair covering her face. "No, go ahead." she said as she sat back up. "Some of them are going to need new frames...they got broken during the move…" she paused a moment before pointedly adding, "it was one of the boxes you and Sango moved after I left."

He picked up the photo and peeked up at her sheepishly, saying, "Sango must have dropped the box or something."

"You sure about that?" she asked skeptically.

"Well...I _might_ have sat on it...I don't really remember," he mumbled.

Kagome smiled as she watched him look down at the photo in his hand. It was an eight-by-ten portrait of her family, taken when she was about ten years old, and her brother was just a toddler.

InuYasha looked at the photo, the diagonal crack running in across the full length of glass—right across Kagome's face—making him feel a sudden surge of guilt. "I'm sorry."

"What for?" She crinkled her brow.

InuYasha held up the picture to show her the damage he'd caused. "I'll replace all the broken ones."

"Oh, don't worry about it," Kagome said with a wave of her hand. "It's really no big deal. I've been thinking about getting some new frames for those anyway. Besides, you helped move all my furniture. Consider the debt repaid."

InuYasha didn't argue with her further, but he still planned to replace the frames. He continued snooping through the box, finding a few more photos with broken glass and making a mental note of the sizes. Under the framed pictures he discovered a large, D-ring binder photo album. He lifted it into his lap and opened it up to the first page.

"Is this your brother?"

Kagome glanced over to see the picture he was referring to and let out an indignant gasp when she saw which one it was. Her first grade picture. The one that was taken shortly after she and her friends had decided to give each other haircuts…

"That's ME you jerk!" she said, grabbing a pillow off of her bed and chucking it at his face.

"Well how was I supposed to know?" he defended. "Your hair was so short."

"And can't a girl have short hair?"

"Well sure but…" he looked down at the picture again. "It's _so_ short."

Kagome sighed. "My mom had to cut it that short to even it out after me and my friends cut each other's hair," she further explained.

InuYasha chuckled. "Now _that_ is what you should have gotten a picture of."

Kagome gave a defeated sigh. "Turn the page."

He did as she said and found a picture of a red-face, pouting, eight-year-old Kagome with a very chaotically asymmetrical haircut. He let a snort as he tried to stifle a laugh. "Edgy."

"Shut up," she grumped.

He chuckled as he turned back in the album to the school photo. "It's not so bad. I've been thinking about getting mine cut short actually. I think I'm getting a little too old to still have long hair."

"Oh, don't do that!" Kagome discouraged him.

"Why not?"

"Because it's so pretty!"

InuYasha looked at her as if he'd been physically assaulted by her comment. " _Pretty?!_ Well, I'm definitely gonna fucking cut it now!"

Kagome only laughed at his apparent distress.

" _Keh,_ " he scoffed as he stood the chair yet again, placing the photo album onto the desk. "I'm definitely going home now before you try and put pink bows in my hair or something."

She giggled. "Stop giving me ideas."

InuYasha stomped towards the window, grumbling incoherently and wearing an exaggerated frown all the way.

"You can use the door, you know," Kagome commented as he slid open the window and slipped outside.

"Well, I'm already out here now."

Kagome smiled and held out the last bite of her ice cream cone toward him. "Your favorite."

Instead of taking it with his hand, InuYasha leaned in and took it from her fingers with his mouth and gave her a very full-mouthed smirk as he crunched the heel of the cone between his teeth.

Kagome smiled and shook her head. "Goodnight, InuYasha. Thanks for the ice cream."

"Don't mention it," he said as he stepped up onto the railing of the fire escape.

"Don't land on anyone's head!" she said as he bent his knees to jump.

"I ain't goin' down, I'm goin' up," And before she could blink he was off, sailing through the air and landing onto the roof of a neighboring building before hopping his way from rooftop to rooftop until he was out of sight.

As she watched him, Kagome couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to be up there with him. She imagined it would probably be a lot like flying, and she couldn't wait to find out.


	25. Pull a Rabbit Out of a Hat

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha.

* * *

 **Phony Digits**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Twenty-five: Pull a Rabbit Out of a Hat**_

* * *

After almost two hours on the road for a trip that should have lasted no more than one, InuYasha finally arrived at his parents estate, pulling his car up to the wrought iron gate.

He rolled down his window and pressed the button on the call box, and immediately a deep, male voice answered over the intercom. " _Please state your name and business._ "

"It's me. Open the gate," InuYasha huffed, deliberately turning his face toward the security camera and giving a stagy eye roll.

" _I'm sorry sir, but there doesn't appear to be anyone by the name of_ 'me' _on the guest list_."

"Open the gate, or I swear I'm gonna drive right through it."

" _Be ye friend or foe?_ " the man replied in a theatrical english accent.

"Dad," InuYasha said in a low, threatening tone. "If this gate doesn't open in ten seconds I'm going home."

 _"Dad? Who is this Dad you speak of? There is no one by that name here!"_

"Alright, see you at Thanksgiving," InuYasha said, waving into the camera and making a show of putting his car in reverse and pretending to back out of the driveway.

A moment later the gate began slide open. " _Come into the garage. I want to show you something,_ " he heard his father say over the intercom as he shifted into drive and eased his car through the gate and up the driveway toward the house. His car was quickly flanked on either side by his father's pack of large and seemingly deranged dogs.

When InuYasha parked and exited his vehicle, he was immediately swarmed by the nine jumping, slobbering, licking, stink-machines that were his dad's 'other half-breeds' as InuYasha so lovingly referred to them, much to the disapproval of his father.

"In here!"

He looked up from the barbarian horde to see his dad peeking out of the side door of the extravagant six-car garage which only housed one actual car.

"Can you call the dogs off?" InuYasha snapped back.

"Sorry son, I'm afraid they don't listen to me," his dad responded before disappearing back into the garage and leaving his son to fend for himself.

InuYasha rolled his eyes and trudged onward, through the sea of dogs toward the door.

When he entered the garage he found his dad—mid-swing—in front of a state of the art golf simulator. He watched as the ball bounced off the projector screen to be seamlessly replaced by a virtual ball that soared down the simulated fairway. Once the ball had rolled to a complete stop, a series of numbers appeared on a large television that was mounted to the wall just outside the side screen that was part of the 180° projection.

"Do you think you can beat that?" his father asked, extending the handle of the golf club in his son's direction.

"Not interested."

"Oh, come now, son. Be a sport."

"That's just the thing, _you_ are a very _bad_ sport, and I don't feel like dealing with your pouting today," InuYasha retorted, as he squatted down to acknowledge dog number ten, the professionally trained, champion-bloodline Samoyed who spawned the nine hellhounds who were currently outside, probably chewing the tires off of his car. "Hi, Jody," he greeted the dog, scratching behind her ears. The fluffy white dog stretched out her neck and closed her eyes in bliss at the attention.

"How was traffic?" Mr. Taisho asked.

" _Keh._ Bad. It's always bad. Especially on holidays."

InuYasha's dad gathered his ball and placed it back on the rubber tee before taking another swing. The two men watched the display, as the virtual ball soared through the virtual sky, over virtual sea cliffs and far out into a virtual ocean. The statistics popped up on the screen.

"Seventeen hundred!" Taisho cheered as he read the yardage of his shot. "A new personal best!" then he turned to InuYasha, extended the club yet again, and said, "Now I ask you again son, do you think you can beat that?"

Oddly enough, having inhuman super-strength actually added a whole new level of difficulty to the game of golf. Instead of trying to hit the ball far enough to get it onto the green, the main objective was hitting it gently enough to get it onto the green, and not into the next zip code. InuYasha supposed that was the very reason his dad had purchased the simulator, so he would have no such limitations. Against his better judgement, he accepted the challenge. "Fifty bucks says I can hit over a mile on my first swing." he said as he took the driver from his father's hand.

"You think you can beat my best distance on your first shot?"

"I think Sesshomaru's prissy ass could beat _your_ best distance. _I'm_ about to set the bar." InuYasha taunted as he stepped onto the astroturf. He placed the ball on the tee and stepped back and took a few practice swings before lining up with the ball and putting all his strength into the swing. The two of them watched, as again the little virtual ball soared through hill and vale, and far out into the sea.

Then, the moment of truth arrived, and as the numbers generated on the screen InuYasha fought to contain a cheer when he saw '1712' appear. He turned slowly to his father with a smug grin on his face. "Pay up, old man."

"I'm afraid the only one who'll be ' _paying up_ ' is you."

InuYasha furrowed his brow in confusion and argued, "But I beat you!"

"Yes, but that wasn't the bet. The bet was that you'd hit the ball _over a mile_ on your first try. I'm sorry son, but you lost fair and square, now it's time to pay the piper," the older man said, extending his hand.

InuYasha sighed, grumbling curses under his breath as he removed his wallet from his back pocket. He thumbed through his cash, finding that he was about thirty-two dollars shy of having enough money to settle his debt. "Double or nothing," he challenged in a last ditch effort to salvage his dignity.

His father chuckled and shook his head. "I told your mother we'd come inside as soon as you arrived. I'm sure she's wondering what's keeping us. We'll save the betting for another day, when you have the money."

" _Oi_! I have the money, okay? I just don't have it _on_ me."

"Why don't we wager something other than money. I mean, it isn't exactly fair, seeing as I have more money than I could ever spend."

"So what are you thinking?" InuYasha asked, eager to settle the score. He hated feeling indebted to anyone, especially his father.

"We each take one swing," Taisho suggested, holding up a finger. "If I win, you come work for me."

"And what if I win?"

"You name your stakes."

It was an intriguing offer. InuYasha contemplated all the things he could ask for. He could ask for money or real estate, but where's the fun in that? No doubt his father would give him those things at any given time, bet or no bet, if he just asked for them. Besides, he wasn't interested in them anyway. If he was he'd be working for his dad already. The only thing InuYasha really wanted was to get his parents off his back about work and his personal life. He could ask that if he wins his father never ask him to come work at the company ever again, and that his mother never ask him about his love life ever again, but…

He shook his head. The stakes were too high. Maybe if he hadn't just expended most of his energy in the previous swing he'd take the bet, but twelve yards didn't give him nearly enough leeway to feel confident that he would win a second time. At least not today.

"Let's save it for another day," InuYasha reluctantly agreed.

"Very well." His dad nodded, just as his mom's voice came over the intercom speaker beside the door leading into the main house.

 _"Taisho, where are you?"_

His father walked over to the speaker and responded, "The sanctum sanctorum, dear."

InuYasha rolled his eyes.

 _"You're keeping us waiting."_

"We'll be right in."

OOOOOOOOOO

"The lamb is absolutely impeccable, Izayoi," InuYasha's father complimented the meal from his seat at the head of the table, his eldest son and granddaughter seated on his right and his wife and youngest to his left.

"Isn't Annette fabulous!" Izayoi concurred. "She deserves a nice bonus this week."

"Yes. Add twenty percent," he said with a nod of his head as he took another bite, then added, "No, make that thirty."

"Why don't you just give her a raise?" InuYasha suggested.

"Because there's no incentive. Raises are for time served, bonuses are for exemplary performance."

"That is why _he_ has no understanding of them," Sesshomaru quipped.

"They don't give bonuses where I work," InuYasha defended.

"Shocking," his brother said facetiously, with his typical air of superiority.

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

"Boys," Izayoi interjected. "Please stop arguing. It's Easter! Jesus died for your sins, the least you can do it show some manners at the table."

Everyone at the table quieted down, and for several minutes the only sounds were that of chewing and silverware clinking against the fine china. InuYasha found it quite unsettling, but once the silence was finally broken he somewhat wished it hadn't been.

"InuYasha, do you remember my friend Robin?" His mother asked, seemingly out of the blue.

He furrowed his brow, shaking his head and answering "No," around a mouthful of food.

"Oh, sure you do. She used to bring us a pumpkin roll every year at Christmas, remember?"

He shook his head yet again. "I remember the cake, but I don't remember the lady."

"Well, anyway," Izayoi said with a wave of her hand. "her oldest daughter is about your age and she is going to be in the city all next week on business-"

InuYasha sighed and rolled his eyes at what he knew was coming next.

"And I was thinking you might be willing to take her out and show her around."

"No," InuYasha said firmly.

"Why not?"

"I already have plans," he lied.

"For the _whole_ week?" his mother asked, disbelieving.

"Yes."

"What could you possibly be doing that would take up every minute of your time for the entire week?"

He stifled the urge to growl, and deciding that he couldn't possibly come up with a believable excuse on the fly, he changed his argument. "She's _from_ here, Mom. Why does she need someone to show her around her own hometown?"

"It's just a figure of speech, InuYasha."

"No it's not a figure of speech, it's an evasive maneuver and I'm not falling for it."

"Okay, then I'll be more direct: Will you take my friend's daughter out on a date."

"No."

"Why?"

"Because I'm already seeing someone!" he snapped. Well, at least it wasn't a _complete_ lie...it wasn't the _truth_ , per se, but it wasn't a flat out lie...

His mother didn't question his honesty for a second as her face lit up like a Christmas tree. "You are?!" she exclaimed.

InuYasha winced. "Uh...yeah...sure..."

"I didn't know you had a new girlfriend, son," his father chimed in, also apparently accepting his son's subterfuge.

InuYasha nodded and said, "Yep." Okay, so _that_ was a complete lie, but when faced with the decision between lying and going on a blind date, lying seemed like the lesser of two evils by a wide margin.

"You should have brought her with you today," Izayoi said, her voice taking on that familiar pouting tone that InuYasha had come to associate with his love life.

"Well, we haven't really been dating that long."

"What's her name?"

InuYasha's reaction was to quickly shove a heaping bite of food into his mouth to buy time. If he were smart, he would have prepared himself for this almost laughably predictable line of questioning. Unfortunately, he was not smart, he was dumb, and instead of crafting a clever ruse, he blanked. Then he panicked. Then he swallowed his food with a loud gulp and said the first, and _only_ name that came to his mind.

"Kagome."

"Kagome Higurashi?" his brother, of all people, spoke up and joined the conversation, sounding as surprised as he was physically capable of sounding, which wasn't really all that surprised.

His mother gave an excited gasp and he turned to find her smiling ear-to-ear, hands clasped in front of her. _Shit._ Suddenly InuYasha was reminded of the fact that everyone in the room knew who Kagome was, and at least one of them knew that he was lying...

Speaking of which..."No, you're not!" Rin contended.

InuYasha wondered why he couldn't have just said Ashley, or Anna, or Heather? Some other, more common name that could easily belong to anyone? Why did he always have to complicate things by being a stupid, impetuous fuck?

"Yes, I _am_ ," he responded to Rin through gritted teeth, giving her an intense, wide-eyed glare across the table that he hoped she would interpret to mean _'just play along_ '.

"Yeah, sure. You're dating her…" Rin said, and for a moment InuYasha actually thought she was going to play along, until she added, " _in your dreams_ ," under her breath.

Well, if she wanted to play dirty, two could play at that game. "Hey, speaking of who's dating who, why didn't you invite your _boyfriend_?" InuYasha asked her.

The attention of the room was refocused at lightning speed, and InuYasha had the gaul to shoot a satisfied smirk in Rin's direction while she just sat there gaping like a fish under the scrutiny.

"Your boyfriend?" Izayoi asked, while the other two men in the room stayed eerily silent.

"He's lying!" Rin defended.

Actually, it was the first statement in quite some time that was one hundred percent true. "Oh, I'm lying, am I?" InuYasha asked. "Well, what about Sango Miyahara's little brother, then?"

"He's not my boyfriend!" Rin protested, her voice suddenly climbing several octaves above her regular tone.

"Well that's very interesting, seeing as how you sure didn't deny it when Kagome called him that."

" _Kids!_ " Taisho's thundering voice boomed through the dining room and caused everyone to fall silent and turn toward him with a jolt. "Now, which one of you is lying?"

"They're obviously _both_ lying," Sesshomaru interjected, sounding bored, although the fact that he was even participating in the conversation at all proved that he was highly interested.

Seeing that there was no backing down, but still wanting to come out on top, Rin spouted the truth, "Okay, fine! I have a boyfriend and InuYasha has a big fat crush on my roommate!"

About that time, as if she understood just what the larger animals in the room were talking about, InuYasha's mother's little black cat came trotting into the room, the bell on her collar jingling merrily as she hopped up into InuYasha's lap and perched her paws up against his chest, kneading and purring as she lovingly head-butted him under his chin.

"Hey look, InuYasha's girlfriend showed up after all!" Rin teased.

"Keh!" InuYasha scoffed as he grabbed the cat and gently tossed her to the floor. "Shut up!"

"Don't take your anger out on the cat! She loves you and she didn't do anything wrong!" Izayoi defended her pet, patting her lap to call the cat to her.

"This is why I hate coming here. You all always gang up on my like this!" InuYasha said.

"Oh, don't be so sensitive, InuYasha, no one's ganging up on anyone. Now, this Kagome, you like her?" his mother asked as her beloved pet jumped into her arms and she hand fed her a bit of lamb.

" _Like_ her?" InuYasha repeated. "I'm not in high school, Mom."

"You could have fooled me," Rin chimed in.

"Oh, and you're just _so_ much more mature than I am?"

"I'm _twelve_ years younger than you, InuYasha. At least I have an excuse!"

"You just _always_ have to get the last word in, don't you?"

"You just can't stand to lose at your own game!"

"Rin. Stop," Sesshomaru interjected. "Trying to win an argument with an idiot is futile."

"Yes, sir," she replied sheepishly.

"This boy you're seeing, does he go to your school?" Sesshomaru asked Rin.

She nodded.

"Why didn't you invite him to join us?" he added.

"I uhh…" she looked back and forth between the other occupants of the table. "I'm not sure he's quite ready for... _this_."

"Were you afraid they would embarrass you?" Sesshomaru asked, conveniently leaving himself out of the equation, as if the very thought of himself being an embarrassment was inconceivable.

"No, no! It's not that," she assured. "It's just that...you-I mean, _we_ , can be a little intimidating...that's all," she said, chuckling nervously.

Sesshomaru simply nodded his acceptance. He'd always taken the hands-off approach to parenting, or whatever it was one might call his role in Rin's life. If not for his household staff she would have more than likely had no nurturing or positive influences in her life at all. She'd probably be running around barefoot in the forest foraging for wild berries.

"So Rin, do you think Kagome likes InuYasha back?" Izayoi asked innocently, as if she were talking about two grade school children.

Rin shrugged. "I don't know, grandma. She seems smart though, so probably not."

InuYasha continued eating, pretending not to hear the insult.

"Now that's not a very nice thing to say," his mother said.

"Please, Mom, for the love of God and all that is holy, _please_ don't try to get involved in this," InuYasha pleaded. "Promise me that you won't."

"I won't."

"Swear to God?"

"I swear on my mother's grave," Izayoi held up her hand and vowed.

"No, no, no." InuYasha wagged a disapproving finger at her. "We all know you hated your mother. You ain't trickin' me with that bullshit. Is there a Bible around here for you to swear on?" he asked. "And don't try to trick me with _Don Quixote_ like you did last time. I ain't falling for that again."

"InuYasha," Izayoi said in a calming tone. "I swear to you I won't get involved."

"Hand to God?" InuYasha asked.

"Hand to God," she repeated, raising her right hand. "Now, who's ready for dessert?"


	26. Put Two and Two Together

Disclaimer: InuYasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I have nothing.

* * *

 **Phony Digits**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Twenty-six: Put Two and Two Together**_

* * *

InuYasha enthusiastically devoured his lunch as he listened half-heartedly to his best friend's rambling.

"She's the perfect woman, InuYasha... _perfect!_ " Miroku exclaimed over the sounds of dishes clanking and the steady hum of diner patrons engaging in conversation. "She's smart, and tough, and funny…and _god_ she's _so_ sexy," he counted off each point on his fingers before pausing and letting out a contented sigh. "She's got the kind of ass I'd just like to smash my face against until I pass out from lack of oxygen," he said, enthusiastically clenching his hands into tight fists before him.

InuYasha paused from cramming french fries into his mouth, looking up to give his roommate an incredulous look across the table and said, "There's something seriously wrong with you," through a mouthful of food.

In response, Miroku simply chuckled and said, "One day my friend, when you know the pleasure of a woman's touch, you will understand."

" _Keh!_ " InuYasha scoffed, never ceasing devouring his food as he shook his head and mumbled, " _Stupid idiot._ "

Miroku chuckled, although he was slightly disappointed that he wasn't able to rile his hanyou friend up quite like he used to. InuYasha was always wound so tight; he was always so easily ruffled. Now it seemed his mind was so well occupied elsewhere that lately Miroku could never get a rise out of him. It wasn't the _first_ time Miroku had seen InuYasha in such a state, just the first time in a _long_ time. "So, how's Kagome?" he asked, shifting the conversation in a direction in which he was sure his friend would take an interest.

"Okay, I guess," InuYasha said with a shrug. "I haven't talked to her yet today."

"Do you talk to her everyday?" Miroku asked.

"Pretty much," InuYasha nodded. "Texting, at least," he clarified.

"So the two of you are back on good terms, then?"

InuYasha shrugged again. "I guess so."

"But not dating."

"No."

"But you _want_ to date her."

"Well... _yeah_. I mean, I don't wanna _asphyxiate_ myself with her ass or anything, but…"

Miroku just smiled and shook his head. As usual, attempting to pry personal information from InuYasha was like trying to squeeze blood from a turnip. "She's obviously interested in you, she's just playing hard to get," he reasoned. "That means you have to work that much harder."

"She's not playing _hard to get_ , Miroku. That's just something guys say when they don't wanna admit a girl's not interested in them."

"I disagree. I think there are some women who do."

"Yeah, _some women_. The ones who don't _wanna_ get got. "

Miroku gave a snort of amusement at his friends eloquent word choice. "Whatever you say, man."

"She's not playing hard to get. She's all but admitted that she likes me...she just doesn't _trust_ me...and I want to change that. I don't want to blow this by being pushy. If she says she just wants to be friends, then we'll just be friends."

"Doesn't trust you…?" Miroku repeated leadingly.

"Yeah...I don't know," he shook his head. "She said she thinks it's too soon, or something..."

"Too soon? Since what?" Miroku said before taking a bite of his cheeseburger.

"Since me and Kikyo broke up."

"Ah." Miroku nodded as he chewed his food. "She's probably right."

InuYasha looked up to his friend with a furrowed brow and sincerely asked, "You really think so?"

"No, not really," Miroku answered casually, plucking a pickle from his burger and popping it into his mouth with a crunch. "I was just trying to get you to argue with me and stop being such a pussy."

" _Keh_! Whatever!"

"Ask me what I think you should do," Miroku said.

"Yeah right! I ain't interested in your shitty frat boy advice! You're the _last_ person I'd take advice from. Your track record sucks."

"Okay then, if you won't ask I'll just _tell_ you because I'm getting tired of your sulky pining."

" _Sulky pining_?" InuYasha repeated indignantly.

"Listen, you've gotta put some effort into this 'friendship'," Miroku punctuated with air quotes at which InuYasha rolled his eyes. "We've known each other since we were kids so our friendship was established easy. Adult friendships aren't so simple. They take work, just like dating. You have to call and plan and invite...Speaking of which, did you ever ask her about the Mets game?"

"No...I almost forgot about it... _shit_ , is that this weekend?" he asked, sounding ever so slightly panicked as he patted down his pockets looking for his phone.

"No, it's next weekend," Miroku said and InuYasha visibly relaxed. "But you'd better ask soon so she doesn't accept any dates for that day," Miroku teased.

InuYasha let out a quiet scoff and pretended not to hear him as he removed his phone from his breast pocket and began to type a message.

* * *

 _A man was stabbed to death early Sunday morning in Okwaho Point, according to Okwaho County Sheriff's Department._

 _Police dispatch received an anonymous report at 1:47 a.m. of an abandoned vehicle at the intersection of Seneca and 5th streets. When officers arrived they found the car idling at the traffic light with the driver inside, unresponsive and with an apparent stab wound to the chest. The victim, a 37-year-old male whose name has not yet been released to the press, was pronounced dead that the scene._

 _Investigators have no motives or leads at this time._

 _If you have any information regarding this crime, please contact Okwaho County Sheriff's Department, or the police tip hotline…_

The news story immediately struck a chord with Kagome as she read it from her computer screen. When she was in college she was assigned a cold case for a mock investigation; a string of killings that took place between 1999 and 2005. The murders, which were referred to as the "Red Light Murders" by the media at the time, were a series of deadly stabbings where the victims were all early morning commuters who were ambushed in their cars while stopped at traffic lights.

The serial murderer, known as the "Red Light Killer" had murdered at least a dozen people in four different states before seemingly disappearing into thin air. Investigators at the time assumed that he'd likely been incarcerated for some unrelated crime and was currently behind bars, but with no DNA evidence to go on, their only hope had been that he would let something about the crimes slip to a fellow inmate. Eleven years later, and not one peep from an inmate or shred of relevant evidence had turned up since the last murder.

She had no doubt that detectives in Okwaho Point were already considering the possibility that this murder could be connected, as the Red Light killings were notorious, not only in the states where a murder took place, but in the entire country. Kagome hadn't been living in the United States at the time, but she was aware that they had captured widespread attention.

Still, she couldn't help but feel on edge. She couldn't let it go without being sure, if for no other reason than to put her own mind at ease. She picked up her office phone and dialed the number for the Sheriff's Department. She left her information with a receptionist, who assured her a deputy would be in touch with her shortly. She was thoroughly surprised when, just a few minutes later her phone rang, and it was the Okwaho County Sheriff himself on the line.

"You say you have information pertaining to the recent stabbing?" the man asked after proper introductions had been made.

"Well, yes and no. It's more of a hunch really, one that I'm sure you've probably already considered, but I just wanted to be certain."

"Go on," the man encouraged.

"From what I read in the article this crime shared a lot of similarities with the Red Light Murders that took place a few years ago."

"Yes...we did consider it, of course," he said, his voice sounding just slightly disappointed that he hadn't been given a more solid lead. "This killer's M.O. is almost identical to Red Light's, but there is one big difference that we feel completely rules him out."

"And that is…?"

"The murder weapon," the man said simply.

"But is it not possible he could have changed it up this time?" Kagome suggested. "It has been awhile since he last killed so it's possible he may have changed his methods, or that he killed on impulse and used whatever weapon was available."

"That's where things get tricky. You see, in every Red Light murder case the killer used a knife. Never the same knife, but always a fixed, steel blade that he would discard at the scene. In this case the victim _was_ stabbed, but the weapon _wasn't_ a knife," he said cryptically, his emphasis suggesting that it was something quite different.

"What sort of weapon was used?" Kagome asked.

"Well...we don't know exactly. It's complicated."

"Complicated how?" she asked, her interest now thoroughly peaked. Unidentified weapons were, quite literally, her _one_ job.

"The victim was stabbed with something...organic."

"Organic?" she repeated. "Like a wooden stake?"

"Organic like _flesh_ ," the detective on the phone said.

Several seconds of silence passed as Kagome pondered in implications of this, before asking, "What do you mean?"

"Whatever it was that impaled this guy left lots of contact DNA, it was like...almost like an extension of the killer's body or something. If the wound were larger, I'd swear he had struck the guy through the chest with his own _arm_."

"So this killer has to be youkai then."

"Exactly," he affirmed. "And since we know beyond a reasonable doubt that the Red Light Killer is human, we're positive that the similarities between the two cases are merely coincidence, or possibly a copy-cat, although that's unlikely given the amount of time that has passed since the his last kill."

"Were you able to get a DNA profile?" Kagome asked.

The man on the other end of the line let out a mirthless chuckle. "We _did_ , but what we got only left us even more confused than we were to begin with."

"What did you find?"

"Over forty distinct DNA profiles, but no two exactly alike, all youkai in origin save for one human strand, which we can only logically assume was left on the killer through physical contact. We ran them through CODIS and got nothin'."

"What do you think would cause that kind of contamination?"

"We don't know, but from what we can tell the samples are consistent and don't show any signs of contamination at all. According to the chemist who analyzed the results the profiles are all anomalous. Deformed, almost, but they all have Y chromosomes that are too similar to be coincidence. It's almost like each strand is from a different sibling with the same father, but with an unheard of amount of genetic mutations."

"But you think they all came from the same person?"

"Yes. We don't know _how_ exactly, but we're absolutely certain of it. When you take away all the mutations, the human DNA that we found is a paternal match to all the youkai DNA strands."

"So the killer is a hanyou then," Kagome stated.

"Again, it's complicated," the man said with a frustrated sigh. "That the killer is a hanyou with a human father would be the obvious answer, yes, but the youkai DNA isn't diluted enough to have one fully human parent, yet the human strand was one hundred percent human. There's the possibility it could be touch DNA from a grandfather or uncle, but the whole thing is so bizarre we aren't ruling anything out. Not even the possibility that the human DNA also came from the killer himself."

"But that's impossible," Kagome contended.

"Last week I would have told you all of this was impossible. Anyway, it's out of my hands now. The case has been handed over to the state. Our county really isn't equipped to handle something like this. Hell, we don't even have any youkai detectives on our force."

"Do you think it would be possible for me to get in and examine the victim?" Kagome asked.

"That would be a question for the state police. The lead detective's name is…" he paused and Kagome could hear the sound of papers shuffling before he continued. "Rick Wesley. I don't have his direct line, you'll have to call dispatch and leave a message for him."

"What troop is he?"

"Troop D," the man answered.

Kagome thanked him as she scribbled down the information.

"You're welcome," he said. "I wish you the best of luck, Ms. Higurashi."

"Thanks," Kagome said before hearing the clatter of the phone's handset being returned to the base.

She had no doubt that her request would be denied, but it was worth a shot. She called the state police dispatch and left a message for the detective in charge of the investigation. While she was leaving the message Sango walked into her office, furrowing her brow and giving Kagome a confused look as she listened to her friend's request.

"What was that all about?" Sango asked as Kagome hung up the phone.

"Just curious about something I saw in the news."

"Ah, I see," Sango said as she took a seat on the edge of Kagome's desk. "Doing a little recreational _work_. I almost forgot what a party animal you are," she teased.

"It's not recreational work, it's just work. You forget I'm not a detective, I'm a scientist. Nothing is out of my jurisdiction as far as murder cases are concerned."

" _If_ you're granted access," Sango added.

"Well, it's worth a shot."

"What's so interesting about this case anyway?"

"I thought it might be linked to a string of serial killings, but after talking to the sheriff of the county where the murder took place it _seems_ like it couldn't be the same person."

"But you think it is," Sango stated, reading into her friend's tone.

"I don't know…it's a strange case..."

The two women were interrupted by Sango's phone chiming with a received message alert. Sango removed the phone from her pocket, and as she silently read the message to herself, Kagome watched as the smile on her friends face slowly grew from a smirk to an all-out grin.

"What's so funny?" Kagome asked.

Sango chuckled before beginning to read the message aloud. "It says, **'Hey this is InuYasha Taisho, Miroku's roommate,'** she paused for another giggle, which Kagome joined.

"In case you got him confused with one of your other friends named InuYasha," Kagome joked.

"Just wait, it gets even better," Sango commented before she continued to read. " **'I have a favor to ask and it's ok if you don't want to do it I won't be mad or anything if you say no but would you see if Kagome would come to the game with us on 4/8'**." Both women giggled again.

"I won't be _mad_ or anything," Sango mocked teasingly.

"What game is he talking about?" Kagome asked.

Sango shrugged. "I have no clue. I guess he's assuming I already know about it." _'What game?'_ she returned.

 **'Mets vs. Phillies'** InuYasha immediately responded.

"Baseball game," Sango told Kagome, then asked InuYasha, _'Who is going?'_

 **'Us 4 I guess if you want to. Miroku bought the tickets for my bday,'** Sango read the response aloud.

"Are you going?" Kagome asked.

"Hell yeah, I'm going. Free stuff."

Kagome nodded. "I'll go too then. You can tell him yes."

"No, I'm gonna tell him to grow a pair and ask you himself," Sango said.

"No don't do that!" Kagome held her hands in front of her friends phone to prevent her from responding.

"Why not?"

"Because it's...it's just easier this way. He's just asking in a roundabout way because he's trying to respect my wishes."

"Respect your _wishes_?" Sango repeated flatly. "And what are your _wishes_?"

"To not date him," Kagome answered as if it were completely obvious and logical.

"You don't want to date him?" Sango asked, narrowing her eyes skeptically. "I thought you liked him...isn't dating the goal?"

"It's not that I don't want to, it's just...I'm worried that…" Kagome paused a moment, not certain how to voice her concerns.

"Worried that what? You'll have a good time? That you might have a life outside of work? That you'll accidentally trip and fall on his dick and get pregnant?"

"Sango!" Kagome scolded as her friend who was chuckling at her own joke.

"Well I don't know, Kagome. You've been known to worry about some pretty irrational things."

"This isn't irrational! I'm just...what I'm worried about is just...that I won't be able to just be friends with him if I get too close."

Sango narrowed her eyes, saying, "And that's a bad thing because…?"

"Because I don't want to be a rebound!" Kagome said honestly. "He just got out of a relationship—a really _long_ relationship with someone who apparently looks a heck of a lot like me, might I add—and it's just...it's too soon..."

"Does _he_ think it's too soon?"

"No, I mean, he _says_ he doesn't, but what does he know? No one thinks a rebound is a rebound while it's happening. I'll feel more confident that I'm not one if I we get to know each other better first."

Sango nodded. "Well, I can accept that reasoning...for now at least."

Kagome leaned her elbows on her desk, propping her chin against her fists and letting out an exaggerated sigh. "I wish I knew what she looks like…" she said quietly as if just thinking out loud.

"Why?" Sango asked. "It's not like she's your competition or anything."

"I know that, I'm just curious…" she said, turning to her computer and opening her web browser. "Do you know her last name?"

"No, and I don't think you need to be looking her up anyway. What good can come of it?"

"What bad can come of it?" Kagome countered.

"You could start comparing yourself to her, for one thing."

"Well everybody else does, so why can't I?"

"Just let it go, Kagome," Sango pleaded. "I know you, and you obsess over everything."

"I do not! And don't tell me you wouldn't be curious too if everyone kept telling you that you looked exactly like Miroku's ex-girlfriend."

"You don't look _exactly_ like her," Sango argued and Kagome paused and narrowed her eyes.

"How would _you_ know?"

Sango slapped a hand to her forehead and let out a groan.

"Have you seen her?" Kagome pried.

"A picture," the older woman confessed. "I've seen _a picture_. That's all."

"Where?"

"InuYasha showed it to me. It's on her company's website."

"What's the name of the company?" Kagome asked and she lifted her hands to the keyboard with renewed determination.

"I don't remember."

"Liar!"

"Fine," Sango grumbled and she slid off the desk and lowered herself into Kagome's chair, nudging her friend to scoot over and make room. She pulled the keyboard in front of her and typed the name of the well known, prestigious law firm into the search engine, clicking on the first result at the top of the page.

"You're messing with me, right?" Kagome asked in a slightly desperate tone.

" _Nope_ ," Sango said, dragging out the word in a smug, 'I told you so' sort of tone, adding, "She's a corporate lawyer."

"Oh..." Kagome slouched down in the chair, looking physically deflated.

Sango continued to click and navigate until she found the link that led to Kikyo's personal profile. With the cursor hovering over the link, she said, "Speak now or forever hold your peace."

"Just click it."

When the page was opened, the first thing that greeted them was a professional headshot of Kikyo. As expected, she was very attractive, and looked perfectly polished and poised, not a hair out of place. Kagome was surprised that the resemblance was such that even she herself could see it. Even more surprising was the fact that she didn't feel particularly intimidated by the other woman's appearance.

Her eyes drifted down to the short biography below the picture.

"She went to Columbia," Kagome said as she read through the profile.

"So?" Sango shrugged as if it were nothing special.

" _So_ it's an Ivy League school."

"And what's that got to do with anything?"

Kagome sighed and said, "It was my first pick and I didn't get in…"

Immediately Sango exited out of the web page before Kagome could read any further.

"Hey!" the younger girl protested. "What'd you do that for?"

"You were comparing yourself and getting all insecure."

"Well, can you blame me? It's intimidating! How could I possibly compete with that?"

Sango huffed and rolled her eyes. "Oh _, yeah_ , better pad your resume, InuYasha's such an intellectual. He's sure to reject you when he sees you didn't go to an _Ivy League school_." she said sarcastically.

Kagome was slightly annoyed, but had to admit, her friend had a point. She was being irrational.

"Hey! Why don't you come with me on Thursday night?" Sango suggested, referring to her now routine weekly dinner with Miroku and InuYasha. "You want to get to know each other better, what better way to do that than in a group setting?"

Kagome nodded. "That's actually a great idea! You don't think I would be intruding?"

"Of course not," Sango waved off her concerns. "The boys will think they died and went to heaven having _two_ hot girls in their apartment."

Kagome giggled. "Always so humble," she said patting her friend on the back. "Alright. I'm in. Do I need to bring anything?"

"Just your new beefed up resume," Sango teased. "Be sure to include your typing speed and cumulative GPA."


	27. Dull as Dishwater

Disclaimer: InuYasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I have nothing.

* * *

 **Phony Digits**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Twenty-seven: Dull as Dishwater**_

* * *

"You _did_ tell them I was coming, right?" Kagome asked Sango as the two of them ascended the front steps of the apartment complex where Miroku and InuYasha lived.

"Umm...was I supposed to?" Sango replied as she lifted her hand and pushed the buzzer.

Kagome let out an exasperated sigh. "So I'm just showing up unannounced _and_ uninvited?"

"What better way to show up than to have the element of surprise? It gives you the advantage."

"Advantage? Element of surprise?" Kagome repeated flatly. "We're having dinner with them Sango, this isn't an ambush."

 _"Come on up,"_ Miroku's voice beckoned from the intercom, and they heard the sound of the lock click open as he buzzed them in.

"C'mon," Sango said as she grabbed her friend's hand and dragged her toward the door. "It's gonna be fine."

OOOOOOOOOO

"Kagome!" Miroku greeted enthusiastically as he opened his door and caught sight of the unexpected guest. "What a pleasant surprise!"

"Where's InuYasha?" Sango asked as she walked in—straight past Miroku—and looked around the apartment, noticing the absence of said surly hanyou. "Did he have to work late or something?"

"What am I, chopped liver?" Miroku asked, pressing a hand to his chest and feigning offense.

"Oh, sorry," Sango apologized sheepishly before giving him a hug and whispering in his ear, "I was just looking forward to seeing his reaction."

Miroku chuckled as he pulled back and looked at his watch. "He's usually home by now. He must have gotten sidetracked by a gyro truck or something."

At that, Sango retrieved her phone from her pocket, tapping away at the screen before lifting it to her ear.

"What are you doing?" Kagome asked curiously.

"I'm calling him and telling him to get his ass home. I'm starving!" she said, propping her free hand on her hip as she switched her attention to the man on the other end of the call. "Where are you?" She paused, and Kagome and Miroku both craned their necks, straining to eavesdrop on the other side of the conversation, but were unsuccessful.

Sango huffed impatiently at whatever it was that InuYasha told her. "Are you serious? We're waiting for you to get home so we can eat dinner...are you still in line right now…? Okay... _okay_ , fine...yeah, okay, just hurry up!" she said before lowering the phone from her ear and ending the call.

"Gyros?" Miroku guessed when Sango dropped her phone back into her pocket.

"Pork rinds," she amended and Miroku and Kagome both chuckled in response. "He said for me to tell you to go ahead and order dinner now and he'll pick it up on his way here."

Miroku nodded before walking to the kitchen to retrieve the appropriate takeout menu from the collection the two men had amassed on the side of their refrigerator. "You should have told him Kagome was here," he said. "I bet he would have made it back in record time."

Sango chuckled while Kagome merely blushed.

Miroku ordered their dinner and the three of them engaged in small talk for about half an hour before they were interrupted by the sound of the front door opening and a disgruntled InuYasha dramatically stomping in, grumbling curses under his breath. As he kicked off his shoes, he suddenly froze in place and lifted his head, sniffing the air in a very dog-like way before whipping his head around toward the table where the other three occupants of the room were congregated.

His surprise widened eyes locked with Kagome's and he managed to choke out a rather breathy "Hi," in greeting.

Kagome greeted him back with a sheepish "Hi," of her own.

" _Hiiiiii_ ," Miroku and Sango drawled out, simultaneously mocking their friends before breaking out a fit of snickering.

Their teasing seemed to shake InuYasha from his temporary daze and he rolled his eyes as he trudged across the living room into the kitchen and sat the Chinese take-out filled bags on the table. "I didn't know you were coming, Kagome."

"Sorry I...didn't mean to impose. I thought Sango told you I was coming," she said, shooting a glance at Sango. "I did say ' _I'll see you tonight_ ' when we were texting earlier."

"No, you said ' _I'll talk to you tonight_ '," he corrected.

"Oh...sorry...I thought you knew-"

"It's fine, Kagome," he cut her off. "I was just surprised to see you. It's a _good_ surprise. Now, which one of these is who's?"

"Allow me," Miroku interjected as he pulled the bag of food from InuYasha hands and began to distribute it.

Once the four of them were finished eating—and Kagome was completely stuffed from being forced to try ' _at least one bite'_ of every dish that InuYasha ordered—they cleaned up their plates and returned to the table.

For a moment they sat in semi-awkward silence before Sango announced, "I'm bored."

"Well, what do you guys usually do after you eat?" Kagome asked.

"Usually we watch basketball, but there aren't any more games until the final four on Saturday," InuYasha answered.

"Well why don't we play a game or something?" Kagome suggested.

"Yeah! A drinking game!" Sango shouted enthusiastically.

"Hell no!" InuYasha protested. "I'm not playing any drinking games!"

"Oh," Sango said with a chuckle. "That's right, I almost forgot you can't drink."

Kagome turned to InuYasha, the silent question of _why_ etched into her furrowed brow.

"What are you lookin' at me like that for?" he said, "I ain't a alcoholic or anything, jeez... I just don't drink."

"And for good reason!" Miroku chimed in.

"Shut _up_!" InuYasha ground out. "So what game are we playing?" he said, trying to divert the attention to a different and less embarrassing subject.

"Do you have any board games?" Kagome asked, and InuYasha felt immensely relieved that she'd let the subject drop. Whether she'd sensed his discomfort and was being considerate or she was just oblivious, he wasn't sure, but he was grateful.

"We don't have any board games, but we have video games."

"I suck at video games," Sango said.

"Oh, I know! Let's play _'I'm the dullest person'_!" Kagome suggested.

"I've never heard of that game. How do we play?" Miroku asked.

"Each person gets five pennies, and we go around the circle taking turns saying something we've never done, and if someone else in the circle _has_ done that thing then they have to put a penny in the cup." On cue, Sango placed a plastic cup in the middle of the table that she'd retrieved from the kitchen. "So you'll want to choose things that you've never done, but you think we have. The game ends when one of us runs out of pennies. The person who still holds the most pennies at the end is the winner."

"Are we betting on the winner? 'Cause if so, my money's on you," Sango joked and Kagome rolled her eyes.

"Ha ha. Very funny," she sarcastically responded.

"So it's basically _'Never have I ever'_?" InuYasha asked.

"Basically," Kagome answered, "but it's a betting game instead of a drinking game."

"If it's a betting game, then let's use dollars instead of pennies."

"Let's use tens," Sango suggested.

" _Fives_ ," InuYasha asserted, quite sure he didn't have enough cash in his possession to use tens.

"Okay, each penny is worth five dollars," Miroku announced. "We'll settle up with the winner after the game is over. Agreed?"

"Agreed," everyone repeated and nodded in unison. Miroku went into his room and after a couple minutes exited with a plastic zip-top bag filled with poker chips. "I thought these would be better than pennies, this way it will be easier to calculate who owes what at the end," he said as he doled out chips to each of them in different colors. "Okay, who goes first?"

"Let's say dealer goes first, that can be you Miroku, since you handed out the chips, and then we will go counterclockwise around the table," Kagome suggested.

"Okay...let's see here," Miroku said rubbing his chin as he contemplated his first move. "I have never-"

"No," Kagome stopped him, "you have to say 'I'm the dullest person because I've never blah blah blah'."

"Oh, okay," Miroku nodded in understanding before starting over. "I'm the dullest person because I've never been to Japan."

The other three occupants of the table let out defeated groans and tossed their poker chips into the cup. "Good one," Sango said. "We may have underestimated you."

Miroku gave a smug grin.

Kagome, who was sitting to Miroku's right at the round dining table was next up. "Umm...I'm the dullest person because I've never—" There were so many things she could say, she basically had the game in the bag, unfortunately she was way too embarrassed to admit to most of the things she hadn't experienced. "—been camping," she finished, remembering the conversation she'd had with InuYasha at the pancake restaurant.

"Damn," Sango said as she and the two men cast their chips into the cup.

"You've really never been camping Kagome?" Miroku asked. "You should have InuYasha take you sometime. He's quite the rugged outdoorsman."

"He said he'd never go camping with a human ever again!" Kagome said.

"InuYasha!" Miroku scolded. "How very ungentleman-like."

"You're one to talk, seein' as how _you're_ the one that turned me against camping with humans in the first place," InuYasha defended.

"Well, it's not right to punish the whole class when one student is tardy," was Miroku's reasoning.

"Fine, whatever," InuYasha huffed. "Anyways, is it my turn?"

"Yes," Kagome said with a nod, "and by ' _fine whatever_ ' do you mean yes?"

" _Keh._ Whatever," he grumbled.

"That's about as close to a yes as you're going to get from him, Kagome," Miroku said.

"I'm gonna hold you to it, then," Kagome said.

"Alright," InuYasha started, seemingly ignoring her attempts to persuade him. "I'm the dullest person because I've never…" he paused and then pointedly looked across the table at his roommate, "had sex in a public bathroom," he finished.

Miroku dropped his head with a sigh and hesitantly reached out to drop a blue chip into the cup.

"A public bathroom? _Really_?" Sango said. "I'm sorry Miroku, but that is disgusting."

"It was at the Mandarin Oriental!" he defended. "It was the classiest bathroom I've ever seen!"

"Still…" Kagome said, scrunching her face in disgust. "A _bathroom_?"

Miroku looked across the table to his roommate. "InuYasha, you were at that wedding too. Help me out here!" he pleaded.

"The bathrooms _were_ pretty nice," InuYasha agreed and Miroku's face lit up, but then quickly dropped when he added, "but I didn't feel compelled to do anything other than piss in them."

Both of the girls laughed and Miroku gave a dejected sigh. "Can we move on, please."

"Yes, let's," Kagome agreed. "Sango, I think it's your turn."

"Okay," Sango began with a sly grin. "I'm the dullest person...because I've never had a threesome."

Miroku let out a defeated groan as he reluctantly tossed in another chip.

" _Gosh_ , Miroku!" Kagome gasped, sounding somewhat scandalized.

"They're just ganging up on me!" he defended. "They're stacking the deck!"

"You stacked the deck against yourself by being such a slut," Sango teased.

"It was college!" he defended.

"We _all_ went to college, that's no excuse," InuYasha refuted.

"Well, it's your turn again now Miroku, so give us your worst," Sango said.

"Hmm…" Miroku turned to Sango and rubbed his chin as he thought. "Let's see...Oh, I know! I'm the dullest person because I've never touched a dead body," he said after a moment of contemplation, knowing he'd at least have the two women on this one.

He was surprised when all three of his friends dropped a chip in the cup. "Even you, InuYasha?" he asked.

"My grandma…" he said grimly. "I had to shake her a little to make sure she was really dead...it just seemed too good to be true."

They all laughed and Sango commented, "No love lost there I take it?"

InuYasha shook his head. "It'd been three days since she died and I was sure it was only a matter of time before Satan sent her back."

"This conversation it going downhill fast," Kagome cut in. "Whose turn is it next?"

"I do believe that would be you," Miroku answered.

"Okay then, let's see." She tapped her chin as she thought, then an idea came to her. "Oh! I'm the dullest person because I've never been on a motorcycle!" she said excitedly.

" _Dammit_!" Sango cursed as she dropped in a chip, "you're killing me here!"

Kagome winced. "I'm sorry. How many do you have left?"

Sango held up the one, white chip she still possessed. "Just one."

"Me too," Miroku added as he put his second to last chip into the cup.

"You've never ridden a motorcycle, InuYasha?" Kagome asked.

He snorted. "What would I need to ride a motorcycle for?" he said, his youkai speed being the obvious answer.

"Oh right. I guess people are more likely to ride _you_ , huh?" Sango casually remarked.

" _Ride_ him?" Miroku repeated, letting out a giggle that was reminiscent of a twelve year old boy being told his first dirty joke.

Sango rolled her eyes at his immaturity and explained. "Sure, you know, like on his back," she said, patting her shoulders. "I try to stay in decent shape, just in case I have to chase somebody down myself, but usually it's easier just to ride Renji on the rare occasion we have a foot chase. He's super fast. I've clocked with my radar gun at one-eighteen. That's a full forty miles per hour faster than the second fastest youkai at the precinct. He might even be the fastest in the whole city."

"I'm glad to know the taxpayer's dollars are being put to good use," Miroku said.

"Hey, everybody has a slow work day every once in awhile," Sango defended.

"Yeah," Kagome agreed. "And a slow day at work for us is a good day for _everybody_."

"Well, I suppose that's true," Miroku agreed.

"Now," Sango said, clapping her hands to draw attention. "Back to the game. Whose turn is it?"

"It's InuYasha's turn," Kagome answered turning to him, "and if you knock out Miroku or Sango's last chip the game will be over."

InuYasha nodded to acknowledge that he heard her.

"Don't listen to her InuYasha," Miroku interjected. "If the game ends now, she'll win. She still has three chips, you only have two."

"Alright…" InuYasha said, contemplating his move. Would he end the game, or would he target Kagome and level the playing field and allow himself a chance to win? "I'm the dullest person because I…" he paused, looking back and forth between Miroku and Kagome, letting the tension build, "because I don't have any tattoos," he finished, his gaze settling on Miroku and giving a smug grin.

Miroku's mouth fell open. "Hey man! What happened to bros before— _OW!_ " he was interrupted by Sango's fist pummeling his shoulder.

"You won't finish that sentence if you know what's good for you," she threatened, then picked up her final chip and tossed it into the cup along with Miroku's.

Miroku brows rose in surprise and subtle excitement. "You really have a tattoo, Sango?" he asked.

She heaved a sigh and dropped her head down into her hands.

"I'm going to take that as a _yes_."

"It's not something I'm proud of."

"Oh, come on. It can't be that bad. Let's see it."

"I'll let you see it on two conditions."

"Name them."

"Condition one:" She held up a finger. "Don't laugh."

"Okay," he nodded. "I promise I won't laugh."

"And that goes for you two, too," she said, pointing across the table to InuYasha and Kagome and they nodded in agreement.

" _You've_ never even seen it?" InuYasha asked Kagome and she simply shook her head.

"What's the second condition?" Miroku asked, hoping to speed up the unveiling.

"Condition two:" She held up two fingers. "Don't be a pervert."

"A pervert?" He furrowed his brow and pressed his fingertips to his chest in a dramatic display of surprise.

She and InuYasha locked gazes, then both rolled their eyes simultaneously. "I mean...the _placement_ of the tattoo might insinuate that I'm coming on to you or something by showing it to you, but I'm _not_ ," she clarified.

"Ah. I see."

She let out a slow breath. "Okay," she said with a sharp nod before turning her back to the table, unbuttoning her jeans, and pulling down the back left side just far enough to expose the red anarchist symbol tattoo. The three occupants of the table leaned in to get a better look, but no one spoke.

"Well?" she said nervously. "Isn't anyone going to say anything?"

"You must have been really into punk rock," Miroku commented, and while he wasn't laughing, his voice held an unmistakable tone of amusement.

"I _was_ ," Sango ground out through gritted teeth as she jerked her jeans back up, buttoned them, and turned back around to face him. "I was also seventeen years old and thought that I'd _always_ love it."

"Could be worse," InuYasha reasoned. "Could be an old boyfriend's name. That's what I thought it was gonna be, the way you hyped it up."

"No, _thank God_. I'd probably have had it removed by now if that were the case."

"You know, you could easily have it covered up if you wanted to. See this?" Miroku said, holding out his left forearm, pulling up his sleeve and turning it to reveal the Japanese stylized clouds that covered either side. "This is a cover up. Can you tell?"

She grabbed his arm in her hands and turned it again, inspecting it carefully. "I can't see anything...but why do I get the feeling there's a naked lady under there somewhere?"

Miroku and InuYasha both laughed at her comment. "Always the perceptive one," Miroku said.

"So I'm right?" she asked and he nodded.

"I'm surprised you covered it up," Kagome chimed in. "I'd think that would be your pride and joy."

"It was _killing_ my mother," Miroku explained. "And she was sure to let me know every time we spoke."

Now it was Sango's turn to laugh. "Well, it would be killing _me_ too, so I'm glad it's gone."

"If you ever decide you want to have yours covered I can hook you up with the guy that did my arms. He's really good I think."

"Yeah," Sango nodded. "I'd like to do that, I just don't know what I would want to cover it with. I need some time to decide. I want it to be something pretty."

"You should get a portrait of your face, then," he spoke almost as if on reflex.

Sango gave him an incredulous look at his dismal failure of an attempt to be charming. "Really? Do you _really_ think I should get a picture of my _own_ face tattooed on my ass, or are you just trying to flatter me?" she asked, obviously already knowing the answer, but asking simply to make a point.

Miroku merely chuckled and lifted a hand to run his fingers through his hair awkwardly. "Well…"

"Better yet, maybe you should cover it with _his_ face," Kagome jokingly suggested.

"Yeah!" Sango agreed. "That's a great idea! An ass on my ass. How fitting!"

"Hey!" Miroku protested as the girls broke out in a fit of giggles.

"You don't need to do that," InuYasha cut in. "If you wanna sit on his face I'm sure all you gotta do is ask."

Kagome and Sango both gasped in surprise before Sango belted out a laugh and asked, "Was that a joke, InuYasha? I didn't know you knew how to make one!"

" _Keh_. He gives me plenty of material to work with," he said, pointing his finger across the table to Miroku. At that, Kagome chuckled and InuYasha was relieved. For a moment he was worried he might have offended her, if the beet red blush that had spread across her face was any indication. His mother had always told him it was impolite to make crude jokes in mixed company, and he could recall several occasions where Kikyo had reminded him of that fact. He could almost feel a phantom pinch on his thigh, or kick to his shin under the table at the memory. He shuddered at the thought as he looked up from his internal musings to find the other occupants of the table settling up their debts, engrossed in animated conversation about...him. _Oh God..._

"...and he ate the whole thing," Miroku said and the girls burst out in laughter. "About an hour later he was hugging the toilet bowl, puking up his guts. He puked for four hours straight. I thought I was going to have to take him to the hospital."

" _Oi!_ Unless you want me telling stories on _you_ I suggest you can it!" InuYasha threatened.

"Is there anything you wouldn't eat on a bet, InuYasha?" Sango asked.

"Not if it's food," he defended.

"Yeah, but, _raw_ chicken...gross..."

Kagome dumped the three remaining red poker chips from the cup and slid them across the table to InuYasha. "You owe me fifteen bucks, dog boy."

"More like chicken boy!" Sango interjected and all but InuYasha burst into another round of laughter.

He gave an annoyed snort as he pulled his wallet from the back pocket of his jeans to retrieve the cash. He was just sure he had at least fifteen dollars in there, but was now finding that the number was closer to nine. More like _exactly_ nine…

"I'll be right back," he said as he stood and made his way to his bedroom. Surely he could find the difference in there somewhere. There was no way he was going all the way to the ATM for six dollars.

He checked his sock drawer and his night stand; he checked the pockets of all his dirty laundry—which lay strewn haphazardly about the floor. He checked inside his closet and under his bed. Inside the rumpled sheets on his mattress he found one dollar and seventeen cents in change that must have fallen out of his pockets during one of the many nights he fell asleep still dressed in his clothes. Under his chest of drawers his fingers found a mouse trap he'd forgotten about setting, and after an involuntary string of profanities poured from his mouth at the discovery, he heard the sound of footsteps coming down the hallway and a quiet knock against his door.

"Are you okay in there?" came Kagome's muffled voice through the door.

"I'm fine!" he called out from where he lay on the floor, prying the mousetrap off of his throbbing fingers and throwing it across the room.

"Can I come in?" she asked.

"No!"

"Why not? You've seen my room, it's only fair."

InuYasha scrambled for an excuse to keep her out of his pigsty of a bedroom. "Because...because I'm naked!" he called back.

"... _Why_ are you naked?" she responded, her tone sounding slightly disturbed.

At the failure to find any acceptable excuse for why he would be naked, he sighed in defeat and said. "You can come in."

The door didn't open immediately, and after a moment of silence Kagome meekly said, "You aren't _really_ naked, are you?"

" _Keh_. No."

Kagome slowly pushed the door open a crack and peeked her head inside. Her eyes surveyed the unmade bed and piles of laundry that littered the messy room before settling on InuYasha, where he still lay flat on his back on the floor.

"Are you okay?" she asked as she pushed the door further and stepped inside.

"I'm fine," he said as he sat up and stood to his feet. "I was just looking for something," he added before heading across the room and picking up the stack of mail that lay in a pile beside his trash can. He was pretty sure he remembered seeing a birthday card in there somewhere...

Kagome continued looking around his room curiously before her eyes eventually settled on a battered looking old katana that rested against the wall in the narrow crevice between his bed and nightstand. She picked up the sword and took a seat on the edge of his bed, laying it across her lap and pulling it a few inches from the scabbard to inspect the weapon. "You really should take better care of this," she said in response to the rusty, chipped blade.

"Keh," he scoffed. "Okay _Mom_ …"

Kagome touched the blade and felt the familiar static-like zing of youkai energy against her fingertips. "Did your dad give you this?" she asked.

He turned to her, his brows raised in curiosity. "Yeah, how'd you know?"

"Feels like your youki, but unless you really, _really_ lied to me about your age, you couldn't possibly have made it," she said as she turned the blade on her lap, eyeing it with careful scrutiny. "It's got to be at least a couple hundred years old, right?"

"More like five or six hundred," he corrected. "And don't go blaming the condition on me, it's looked like a piece of shit my whole life."

Kagome giggled and slid the sword back into the sheath before returning it to it place against the wall.

"So is that a part of your weapons training or something, being able to sense youkai weapons?" he asked as he thumbed through his mail, finally finding the card in question and removing the money his mom had stashed away inside, slipping it into his breast pocket.

"Nope, I've just always been able to do it. My dad had spiritual powers too. I guess it's genetic or something," she said with a shrug before standing up and using her hands to sweep away the dust particles on her jeans that were left behind by the old sword.

"So...is that all you can do? Sense youki?" he asked hesitantly.

"Why, are you scared?" Kagome asked, giving him a teasing grin.

"Keh! No! I'm just curious."

"No, that's not all...I can purify it too," she admitted reluctantly, hoping that this revelation wouldn't scare him away.

"Show me," he said, holding out his hand in her direction.

Kagome looked at his hand, her eyes growing wide as saucers. "You want me to purify you?!" she squeaked out.

"It won't hurt me," he assured. "I'm half human, remember?"

Kagome gave a nervous nod and stepped closer. "Hold your hand up like this," she said, holding her hand up, palm out before her as if she were preparing to take an oath.

InuYasha mirrored the action, and Kagome moved her palm to press flat against his. Without any obvious effort or strain on Kagome's part, he began to feel a slight tingle against his skin where their hands were joined. As the tingle grew stronger, he couldn't help but let out a tiny gasp of awe as he watched in fascination as his claws slowly receded down to form blunt human fingernails. "See?" she said, her casual tone belying the truly remarkable ability she'd just demonstrated.

When she dropped her hands from his, he felt his claws instantly extend back to their normal length, proving just how flawless her control over her powers truly was.

"That's amazing."

Kagome gave a shrug in response. "Not really. Lots of people can do it. Miroku has spiritual powers too I've noticed."

"Yeah," InuYasha said. "He purified me once when we were kids."

Kagome let out a horrified gasp. "That's terrible!"

InuYasha chuckled. "No, it was hilarious. His mom came and picked him up and busted his ass right there on the sidewalk in front of our house. I made faces at him out the window the whole time. It was totally worth being human for a few hours."

Kagome laughed and shook her head. "Why did he do it?"

"There was only one piece of butterscotch pie left, so we played 'rock, paper, scissors' for it, and when I lost I licked it so he wouldn't eat it."

"You cheater!"

"I was nine. Pie was at stake," he said as if that explained everything.

Kagome rolled her eyes and chuckled at his reasoning as she turned and made her way toward the door. "Let's go back out there before they get any ideas."

"Oh, hold on," InuYasha said as he pulled the cash from his pocket. "Here." He extended the folded bill toward her. "Do you have change for a hundred?"

She smiled and pushed his hand away. "Don't worry about it, I owe you for dinner anyway, so let's just call it even."

"How 'bout I buy you lunch tomorrow, then we can call it even," he suggested.

Kagome contemplated for a moment before saying, "I wish I could, but I have court tomorrow afternoon," sounding genuinely disappointed.

"I could meet you somewhere downtown," he said eagerly.

"I'd like to, _really_ , but...maybe another day when I'm not so rushed. I wouldn't even be able to enjoy my food for worrying about making back to the courthouse in time."

InuYasha nodded in understanding, slightly disheartened at her rejection, but also reasonably sure she was being sincere and not just blowing him off. "Some other time then," he said as he opened the bedroom door and motioned her through.

As they walked back into the living room they were met by the sight of Miroku and Sango putting on their jackets and shoes. "Would you like a ride home Kagome?" Miroku asked.

"Sure," Kagome nodded.

"I'll ride along," InuYasha said as he approached the group.

"No, you _won't,_ " Miroku turned and whispered to his friend.

"And why the hell not?!" InuYasha hissed back.

"Look, InuYasha," Miroku whispered, looking back to the women who were distracted in conversation before grabbing his roommate's arm and pulling him aside. "I haven't had sex since Labor Day."

"Keh," InuYasha shrugged. "That's not so ba-"

" _2013,_ " Miroku clarified. "She's giving me _signals_ , InuYasha. Do you understand? _Strong signals_. You are _not_ going to ruin this for me."

"Let me drive Kagome home then. It's a win-win," InuYasha suggested.

Miroku paused, staring into blank space as he mulled over the idea before turning back toward the women and cheerfully clapping his hands together. "On second thought," he announced, "there simply isn't enough room in my truck for the three of us."

Sango narrowed her eyes at him skeptically, but didn't argue.

"I had forgotten that my backseat is filled to the brim with...vinyl...samples...vinyl siding samples." They were the stilted words of a lying man, but no one in the room seemed to acknowledge or care. "So, I apologize Kagome, but I will regretfully have to retract my offer to take you home. But I'm sure InuYasha would be more than happy take you in my stead."

Kagome waved her hands. "It's really no big deal," she said turning to InuYasha. "I can take the subway. I do it all the time."

"But it's dark out," InuYasha protested.

"It's 7:45," she said flatly.

"I don't care. You're not taking the subway by yourself at night. Either I drive you, or I ride the subway with you. Take your pick."

Kagome rolled her eyes, but conceded rather easily. "Fine, you can give me a ride."

"Excellent!" Miroku almost cheered. "Then it's settled," he said as he nearly skipped over to the entryway door and snatched up his keys. "It was a pleasure getting to know you Kagome, I do hope you'll be joining us again soon."

"I'll see you in the morning," Sango said as she too, made her way toward the door.

Kagome nodded and called out her goodbyes.

OOOOOOOOOO

Kagome followed as InuYasha led the way outside and to his car which was parked in the cramped lot adjacent to his building. "The green one?" she asked, pointing to the little sun-faded, forest green Volvo they were approaching.

InuYasha nodded. "I'd be a gentleman and open the door for you, but I don't think we can both fit in there," he said, motioning towards the narrow space between his car and the large pickup truck parked next to him.

"It's okay. It's the thought that counts," Kagome said as she turned to the side and shimmied into the small crevice. She opened the car door as wide as possible—which was, at most, a foot—and carefully maneuvered her way into the passenger's seat.

"Sorry about that," InuYasha said as he slid into the driver's seat—which was primarily composed of black electrical tape. "That asshole always parks so fucking close. I think he does it out of spite 'cause he knows I hate him."

"What do you hate him for?" Kagome asked as she pulled the seatbelt across her body.

"Because he parks so damn close to me!"

She furrowed her brow in confusion and shook her head. "That doesn't even make sense InuYasha."

"Well, whatever. He's doin' it on purpose, I know that much," InuYasha griped as he started the car and headed out of the lot.

"Nice ride by the way…" Kagome commented, and whether it was sincere or facetious InuYasha really couldn't tell, although his money was on the latter.

"This was my dad's old car that he gave to me when I turned sixteen. Look at the odometer."

Kagome leaned over and peeked at the massive mileage the car had racked up. "Wow."

"Just hit four-fifty last month," he said proudly. "Impressive, huh?"

"I honestly didn't even know it was possible," Kagome said with a smile.

"Miroku makes fun of it and calls it 'The Dinosaur', but it's been a damn good car. I have no complaints," he said, patting the dash with his hand as if the car were a living thing.

"I like it," Kagome chirped. "It's got character."

"Well, it ain't winnin' any awards or anything, but it's better than havin' a car payment."

"It might win an award for most miles on any car _ever_ ," Kagome joked.

" _Oi!_ And just how many miles does _your_ car have on it?"

"I don't even _have_ a car."

" _Exactly_. So can it."

"Hey! I meant it as a compliment I'll have you know," she defended, turning to wag her finger at him in reprimand and noticing that he wasn't wearing his safety belt. "And put your belt on! Don't you know it's against the law not to wear your seatbelt?"

"Yes," InuYasha huffed. "I know it's against the law, Kagome, I just forgot because _somebody_ was distracting me," he said as he buckled his seatbelt and turned to her with a smirk.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Just drive."

InuYasha chuckled. "So...Sango says you're coming to the game next weekend?" he said changing the subject.

"Yeah. I should warn you though, I don't know anything about baseball."

"You should start studying then. They quiz you at the door, and if you don't pass they won't let you in," he said straight faced.

Kagome whipped her head around, a concerned look on her face as she asked, "Are you serious?"

"Oh sure," InuYasha nodded as he continued, "if you don't at least know all the players names there's no way you're gonna get through the gates."

Kagome paused for a moment of contemplation before letting out a huff. "You're messing with me," she said flatly.

"It's just so easy," InuYasha said with a laugh.

"You're such a butthead."

" _Butthead?_ " he repeated. "Kagome, that is _so_ offensive. _Please_ , say asshole next time."

"Fine… _A-hole_."

InuYasha was never that great at reading social cues, but he was fairly certain that what they were currently doing would be considered flirting.

"That's a little better. We can start small and work our way up to the bigger words."

"You already made me say the F-word once, what could be worse than that?" she asked.

"You underestimate me, Kagome. I've got some combos that would knock your socks off."

"I don't doubt that…you know, my mother warned me about people like you."

"Are you worried I'm trying to corrupt you?" he asked teasingly.

"Worse! I'm worried you are trying to turn me into _you_ ," she retorted.

Yes, this was definitely flirting, InuYasha decided, although he didn't dare voice his deduction aloud. He had no doubts that would be the perfect way to ruin the moment. Unfortunately the moment was soon ruined anyway, by their arrival at Kagome's apartment building. "Well, here we are...do you want me to walk you up?" InuYasha asked.

"No, thanks. I can take it from here," Kagome said as she removed her seatbelt and exited the car.

There was a small, slightly awkward pause before InuYasha said, "Don't forget to brush up on your baseball trivia."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Just you wait. By next Friday I'm gonna know more about baseball than Babe Ruth."

"Well, Babe Ruth's dead, so I won't argue with you on that."

Kagome bent down to look at him through the open window, scrunching her face in mock anger. "Butthead."

InuYasha chuckled. "You're at least familiar with all the bases though, right?"

Kagome's mouth dropped open shock. "You _pervert_!"

"Hey!" he held his hands up in front of himself defensively. "I'm just talking about baseball here, you're the one with your mind in the gutter!"

Kagome narrowed her eyes at him, and he was fairly certain she was trying to suppress a smile when she said, "Goodnight, InuYasha," before pushing off the window ledge and turning on her heel toward the building.

"Goodnight," he called to her back and she lifted her hand to send him a backwards wave over her shoulder. He watched her enter the building and waited until he saw the light in her bedroom window before leaving to return home.

* * *

 **A/N:**

* * *

 **Sorry for my slowness. I just had no inspiration for these middley chapters. Hopefully it won't take me two more months to get on with the story.**

 **Thanks to MustardYellowSunshine for subjecting herself to the tortures of editing my trash. What a gal!**

 **-Stoats**


	28. Throw a Curveball

Disclaimer: InuYasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I have nothing.

* * *

 **Phony Digits**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Twenty-eight: Throw a Curveball**_

* * *

The day of the baseball game had finally arrived and after spending another Friday morning in court, Kagome was more than ready for a distraction.

InuYasha had cancelled their routine weekly dinner the previous evening last minute, making some rather vague—and flimsy in Kagome's opinion—excuse about being busy. Although she kept it to herself, it left her feeling a bit like she'd been deliberately brushed off. Miroku and Sango—who were also rather enigmatic about the dinner cancellation—had decided to go out on a date, which left her home without any plans for the night. She had decided that she would just spend a relaxing evening having a nice hot soak in the tub, but that endeavor had ended up being thwarted in the most mortifying of ways: By her roommate, not only barging into the bathroom unannounced, but proceeding to strip naked and climb into the tub with her, all the while chattering away, never allowing Kagome a word edgewise, let alone a word of protest.

By the time Rin finally exited the tub the water had gone tepid, Kagome's skin had gone pruney, and the idea of a relaxing bubble bath had entirely lost its appeal.

After drying off and returning to her bedroom, Kagome texted InuYasha to vent about the whole awkward bathtub experience, (it _wasn't_ just an excuse to talk to him, she'd told herself. _No, really_ , she just needed to get it off her chest). He had responded to her complaints with an entirely uncharacteristic ' **LOL** ' accompanied by a laughing smiley emoticon.

She had then asked him, ' _Is this really InuYasha?_ ', worrying that someone else may have stolen his phone or picked it up by mistake, but he confirmed his identity with his next 'InuYasha-typical' text which read, ' **Who the hell else would it be?** '.

After several more messages were exchanged Kagome had asked, ' _Didn't you say you were busy tonight? You don't seem very busy to me._ '

A few minutes later he had responded with another vague response, ' **It's a family thing.'**

That had made her more curious than ever, seeing as how one member of his family was right there in her apartment with her, but if he'd wanted her to know, he would have told her, and as much as it annoyed the nosey, investigative part of her brain, she'd decided to leave it at that.

Just as she stepped out of the courthouse Kagome looked up the street and, seeing InuYasha and ' _The Dinosaur'_ coming into view, jogged out to the curb. "Perfect timing!" she chirped as she opened the door and climbed inside.

"Not really," Inuyasha said wryly, "I've circled the block _three times_ already."

"Oh...sorry." Kagome said sheepishly. "Thanks for picking me up here."

"It's no problem," he said with a shrug, casually drumming his thumbs on the steering wheel.

"This arrangement worked out great actually. See that guy at the top of the steps?" Kagome said, turning to look out the window in the direction of a man in an expensive, albeit disheveled looking suit, pacing back and forth and pointing his finger forcefully at the thin air with which he seemed to be conversing.

InuYasha leaned down to look in the direction she was looking. "The one that's talking into a bluetooth headset like it's 2008?"

"Yeah," she said nodding her head, "that one. He's been trying to get me to go out with him for _months_ but I keep turning him down. Maybe if he saw me get into the car with you he'll think I'm already seeing someone and finally leave me alone."

" _Keh_. Glad I could be of service to you," InuYasha grumbled. "Looks like a real tool."

"You shouldn't judge people based on looks, InuYasha," Kagome scolded him.

"Wha…?" he turned to her, mouth agape. "But you just said…"

"I said I wasn't interested in him, I didn't say he was a _tool_. I don't have anything against him, it's just that he's a _lawyer_ ," was her oversimplified explanation. Only a second later, upon realizing she'd put her foot in her mouth, she raised her hands and added, "No offense!"

InuYasha narrowed his eyes suspiciously and turned to her asking, "And _why_ would I take offense to that, exactly?"

Kagome suddenly froze, eyes widening in panic at her accidental admission to snooping on his ex-girlfriend before she began to backtrack. "I mean...I didn't mean _you_ , what I meant was no offense _to lawyers_...I don't have anything against them personally, it's just...you know...what with my job and everything...dating a lawyer just wouldn't be a very wise career decision...it would be a conflict of interest if I had to testify against a person they were representing." She paused her rambling and let out a nervous giggle, hoping that would be enough to cover her tracks.

Everything she'd said _was_ true, after all...well, everything except that part about not meaning offense to _him_ specifically…

A few seconds of awkward—at least in Kagome's opinion—silence passed before she gave into the need to elaborate. "Maybe if they were something other than criminal lawyers. Some type that didn't interfere with my job, like a real estate lawyer, or civil litigation, or corporate lawyer-" she cut herself off with a conspicuous little choking sound. Of all things why did she have to say corporate? She needed to change the subject, and fast. _Say something, Kagome. Anything!_ "Medical malpractice!" she called out in a high pitch that even made herself cringe.

InuYasha turned to look at her with a severely furrowed brow, as if assessing the current state of her sanity, possibly concerned she might be having some sort of neurological event. She was sure she was about to get the third degree when instead he turned away and simply said, "Whatever," with a shrug, seeming to buy her explanation as he turned away from her to look over his shoulder and eased off the brakes, steering the car back out onto the street.

Kagome relaxed, nearly letting out a sigh of relief as she reached up and turned the rear view mirror away from InuYasha's line of vision. "Okay. Don't peek," she said before turning around and crawling over the console and into the backseat.

"Huh?" InuYasha glanced back at her with a confused frown. "What are you doing?"

"Changing," she answered as she reached forward between the seats and pulled a pair of jeans and green thermal top from the tote bag she'd been carrying, placing the neatly folded clothing on the console. "You didn't expect me to go to a baseball game wearing _this_ , did you?" She motioned down to her attire, which consisted of a ruffled button down blouse, black pencil skirt and heels.

He took another glance over his shoulder, then turned back forward. "Go ahead, I won't look, but I need my mirror to drive," he said as he adjusted it back to its proper position. "And I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure this glass is see-through." He rapped his knuckles against the window.

"I'll duck down. Don't worry, I've done this plenty of times before."

InuYasha shrugged and glanced down to his right to the clothing she had pulled out of her bag. "I hope you brought a jacket. You're gonna freeze your ass off in this," he said, lifting the shirt in his hand.

"It's thermal!" she defended.

"Yeah, and it's 45 degrees outside. That _thermal_ isn't going to do you a damn bit of good if you don't have anything on over it."

"Well all I have is this sweater," she said, tugging at the gray cardigan she was wearing over her blouse, "and it's too dressy to wear with this outfit. It will look stupid."

"I probably have something in the trunk you can borrow."

Kagome proceeded to change her clothes, peeking up at InuYasha nearly constantly and finding herself frustratingly annoyed at the fact that she never once caught him trying to peek back at her—not even when she'd tossed her discarded clothing into the front passenger's seat with a flourish. He hadn't so much as flinched.

"So," Kagome crawled back into the front seat and buckled her seatbelt, "are you picking up Miroku and Sango too?"

"They're meeting us there," he answered. "They're attached at the hip now, in case you haven't noticed."

Kagome gave an amused snort. "Yeah, I've noticed...and she said she just needed to _'get him out of her system'_."

"Boy, he must be really wedged in there," InuYasha said and they both chuckled.

"I wonder how their date went last night? I didn't get to talk to her this morning since I didn't go into the office."

"Well, seeing as how he didn't come home last night, I'd say it went pretty damn good," InuYasha said before joking adding, "either that or he's lying dead in a gutter somewhere."

Kagome gasped. "InuYasha!" she said scoldingly, turning to him and slapping his shoulder with the back of her hand, "That's not funny! What if something bad really did happen to him?"

"Then he wouldn't have been able to call me an hour ago to tell me they'd meet us there."

"Oh…" Kagome turned back to face forward, "well still, you shouldn't make jokes like that."

"Why?" InuYasha asked. "Are you superstitious or something?"

"No, I just don't think you should joke about people dying. Wouldn't you be sad if it actually happened after you made a joke about it?"

"I'd be sad if my best friend died regardless of whether I'd made a joke about it or not," he reasoned.

"Well _yeah_...but…still that doesn't...I mean, it's..." Kagome slapped her hands to her lap in frustration. "Oh, nevermind! No matter what I say you'll always find a way to argue with me."

"Ya know, for someone whose job relies _entirely_ on death you sure are squeamish about it."

"I didn't choose my career because I love death, InuYasha, I chose it because I hate it. In a perfect world my job wouldn't even exist."

"And you'd prefer that?" he asked sincerely.

"Of course! But I chose my job because we _don't_ live in a perfect world, and I think people deserve justice...their families deserve justice...and evil people should have to answer for what they've done. I can't stand the thought that there are people out there living their lives happily when they've taken someone else's life away...when they've taken someone's loved one away..."

InuYasha was quiet for a few moments, as if contemplating his response before saying, "So basically, you're like, Wonder Woman or something," he said with a smirk.

Kagome sighed and flatly stated, "Gee, thanks for taking me seriously…"

"I _was_ being serious!" he defended.

"Flattery will get you nowhere, InuYasha."

He gave a lazy shrug. "Ain't trying to get anywhere…except the ballpark," he added the last part in a grumbling tone, wringing his fists around the steering wheel impatiently.

"So...Miroku didn't come home last night you say?" Kagome asked. "Do you think they uh... _you know_ …?"

"Played Dominoes?" InuYasha supplied with a teasing smirk.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "No, you know what I mean! Do you think they...uh…"

"Had _se_ same noodles?"

Kagome punched his arm. "You're so immature."

"I'm immature?" he said laughing. "You're the one who can't even say the word 'sex'."

Kagome huffed and crossed her arms across her chest, turning away from him to look out the side window. "Forget it."

By this time they had arrived at the gates of the parking lot, which was about a half a mile deep in cars. "Is the traffic always this bad on game days?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Pretty much," he answered. "Sometimes worse."

When they finally made it into the lot and parked the car, InuYasha went straight for the trunk and pulled out a red hoodie, holding it up to his nose and sniffing it before extending it toward her. "Here. You can wear this."

"But it's ugly…" she said with a frown as she took it from his hand. "Don't you have anything cuter?"

" _Cuter?_ " he repeated. "It's the trunk of my car, Kagome, not Neiman Marcus."

"Fine," she said, her bottom lip protruding in an exaggerated pout as she pulled the ridiculously oversized hoodie over her head and began rolling up the sleeves to her wrists.

The two of them walked to the gates and when they arrived scanned the crowd until they spotted the other half of their party.

"Cute outfit," Sango immediately teased Kagome the moment she was within earshot.

InuYasha extended his middle finger to her in response, and Sango enthusiastically mirrored the gesture.

"It's his." Kagome nodded toward InuYasha. "I forgot to bring a jacket."

"Well I think you look fine," InuYasha said.

"I agree," Miroku chimed in. "I think you look very cute, Kagome. Like a girl who has a very considerate boyfriend." He was barely able to get the sentence out before the wind was knocked from his lungs by InuYasha's elbow making swift contact with his ribs.

"Let's go," InuYasha said in his most unamused tone before turning and heading for the entrance.

"So, who are we cheering for?" Kagome asked innocently as she trotted alongside him, struggling to keep pace with him.

InuYasha's head whipped around, with a look of incredulity and betrayal on his face. "I oughta call security right now and have your ass dragged out of here!"

"What? It's an innocent question!" she defended.

"The _Mets_ , Kagome. If the Mets are playing, then you're _always_ cheering for the Mets!"

"Unless they're playing the Yankees!" Sango called out from behind them.

" _No!_ Don't listen to her. She's the devil, and you'll go to hell if you listen to her," InuYasha said as he continued to lead them, grabbing Kagome by the baggy sleeve of her hoodie and pulling her along as he muscled his way through the crowd.

"Hey! Slow down!" Sango called out from behind them. "I want to get a drink before we go to our seats."

InuYasha turned back, letting out an annoyed huff. "We can go to our seats, then _one_ of us can come back and get drinks. There's no reason for all four of us to stand in that god-awful line."

"So you're volunteering then?" Miroku cut in.

" _Keh_. Why can't _you_ do it?"

"You volunteered yourself by suggesting it. You can stop at concessions and the girls and I will meet you at our seats."

InuYasha rolled his eyes. "Fine," he conceded bitterly, "What's everybody want?"

"Beer," Sango spoke up first.

"Same for me," Miroku said, pulling some cash out of his wallet and handing it to InuYasha.

"Kagome?"

"Water's fine for me, thanks."

With a nod he turned and made his way toward the drink stand just outside the entrance to their section and Miroku looped his arms with Kagome and Sango's and led them on to their designated seats.

The game was just getting underway, having arrived just late enough to miss the singing of the national anthem and the ceremonial first pitch.

The minutes seemed to go by rather slowly as Kagome watched and tried to understand the game which she knew nothing about. She'd have InuYasha explain it to her...if he were here…

She turned and looked up over her shoulder at the stadium steps. No sign of him. It had been at least fifteen minutes. Maybe more, or at least it _felt_ like more.

"How long does it take to get drinks anyway?" she asked Sango, who responded with frown and a shrug, seeming unconcerned with InuYasha's absence.

Kagome turned back to the game, and after five more minutes had elapsed she finally lost the battle with patience.

 _What's taking him so long…?_ She drummed her fingers against the armrest impatiently as she again looked over her shoulder up the steps of the stadium. Still no sign of him. She decided to go see what was the hold up.

"Watch my purse," she said, plopping her purse under Sango's seat, "I'm going to go see if he needs a hand." Sango—who along with Miroku appeared to be enjoying the game—acknowledged her with a nod and she shuffled her way past them.

Kagome climbed the concrete steps and made her way into the opening that led into the interior of the stadium. When she rounded the corner her eyes immediately caught sight of InuYasha—easily visible in the crowd composed almost entirely of humans—standing just off to the side of the concession line, holding their drinks and talking to a woman Kagome had never seen before.

She was too far away to hear their conversation, but judging from her body language the woman was obviously flirting with him...or at least it _seemed_ obvious to Kagome's eyes. The woman looked a little older than her, probably closer to InuYasha's age, and she was tall...and attractive...and she was writing something down on a piece to paper...and she was handing the paper to InuYasha...and he was accepting it and stowing it in his breast pocket. Kagome then broke out of her sudden haze of dismay long enough to notice something else. The woman had long, floppy rabbit ears that reached down just below her shoulders. She hadn't noticed them at first because they blended in with her waist-length, coppery blond hair almost perfectly. She must be a hanyou too, just like InuYasha.

Did he know this woman prior to today, or did they just meet? Could he be _interested_ in her?

 _So what if he is?_ Kagome pouted to herself. She had made it clear from the beginning that she just wanted the two of them to be friends, nothing more. She had no claim on him. He wasn't her _boyfriend_ or anything...and this woman obviously had more in common with him than she did…

How could she even _begin_ to compete with a connection like that?

But what would become of their friendship if InuYasha started dating someone? She really didn't want to think about it, as she was sure all thoughts would lead to the same conclusion.

There wouldn't be a friendship left to speak of.

She took in a deep breath and turned away, heading back outside to her seat before InuYasha caught sight, or wind of her.

She hadn't even thought about going on a date with anyone since she met InuYasha, and that was probably the reason she hadn't thought about _him_ dating anyone else either. He _could_ though, and that thought disturbed her more than it ought to. In fact, that thought shouldn't disturb her at all, given the circumstances. She was supposed to be his friend. She should be happy for him. She should be encouraging him...isn't that what friends do? But the very thought of him with another woman caused her chest to constrict in a most unpleasant way. Perhaps it was finally time for her to face the facts and stop lying to herself about her feelings. The _facts_ being that she never felt like InuYasha was just a friend, and her _feelings_ being that she'd been absolutely head-over-heels for him since the first time she ever laid eyes on him.

And now she found herself facing a strange dilemma: Not wanting to be his rebound, while at the same time _definitely_ not wanting him to rebound with anyone else.

She stifled a groan as she made her way back down the stadium steps, mopily dragging her feet as she returned to her seat. She was completely absorbed in her own thoughts of self-pity and oblivious to the game, her two friends, or the forty-five thousand other occupants of the stadium.

Moments later she was drawn from her thoughts by a bottle of water being thrust under her nose.

"Here ya go."

She looked up to find InuYasha golden eyes looking back at her. "Oh...thanks," she said as she petulantly snatched the drink from his hands and grumbled, "Took you long enough."

"Well, _sor-ry_ your majesty. I didn't know I was on a schedule," he said as he plopped down in the seat next to her, cracking open his own bottle of water and taking a sip. "So what'd I miss?"

Kagome slouched down into her seat and shrugged. "Baseball stuff."

He turned and narrowed his eyes at her. "Jeez...what's with the attitude all the sudden?"

"What's with _your_ attitude?" she shot back.

InuYasha brows lifted as he gave her a confused look and raised his free hand in a sign of surrender. "I honestly don't even know what I did to piss you off this time, Kagome."

"You're just being very rude!"

"Very rude?" he repeated. "Rude _how_?"

" _Rude_ spending twenty minutes _flirting_ by the concession stand when I'm sitting out here _dying of thirst_!" she clenched her fists in her lap and spouted out before snapping her mouth shut with an audible click of her teeth.

InuYasha stared at her a moment, a look of disbelief momentarily crossing his face before the corners of his mouth turned up in a self-satisfied smile. "Oh...so you were _spying_ on me were you?"

"I was not spying! I just went to see what was taking you so long!"

" _Riiight._ You weren't spying...just like you aren't _jealous_ , right?"

Her mouth fell open, sputtering briefly before giving a little indignant huff. "I am _not_ jealous!"

InuYasha just turned back to the game without another word, a smug and goofy smile plastered across his face.

"I'm not!" she continued to defend herself.

"Sure, Kagome. Whatever you say."

Sensing his obvious insincerity, she opened her mouth to argue further, but decided against it, seeing as how she _was_ lying, and she wasn't a particularly _good_ liar.

"So…" she said meekly, "did you know that person or…?"

"We went to the same high school," he answered without turning back toward her.

"Oh." She nodded, and despite not really wanting to know the answer asked, "So...are you gonna call her or…"

"I'll probably leave that up to my dad," he said casually.

Kagome turned to him, head cocked to the side and brow crinkled in confusion. "Your dad?"

"Yeah." He pulled the paper the woman had given him from his pocket and held it in front of Kagome's face. It was her business card. She was a real estate broker. "She wanted me to give my dad her card. He's a pretty powerful connection to have in the real estate business world," he said before slipping the card back into his pocket.

"Oh…" she said flatly.

"So, you still jealous?"

"No."

"So you admit you _were_ jealous, then?"

"No!" she adamantly denied.

Despite turning back toward the field and feigning interest in the game, she could still feel his persistent, smug gaze boring into the side of her face, but if he thought that she was one to crack under pressure, he had another thing coming.

"So…" InuYasha finally spoke up. "Do you get jealous of all your _friends_ , Kagome? Or is it just me?"

"Shut up," she said as she sank down in her chair and crossed her arms in a huff. "I already told you, I _wasn't_ jealous, I was just thirsty!"

"Mmhmm...sure...so then how come you haven't even taken a drink of your water yet?"

Kagome's head snapped down to the bottle that rested between her thighs—the tamper-proof seal still intact—and her mouth opened to speak, but for once she found herself at a loss for words.

InuYasha just chuckled as he leaned toward her, nudging her shoulder with his own. "It's okay, I would have been jealous too."

She turned slightly and looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "You would?" she asked as she uncapped her water and took a sip before placing it in the cupholder on the back of the seat in front of her.

"I'd be bustin' heads."

Kagome shook her head and rolled her eyes. "You're such a brute," she said, smiling slightly as she drew her knees up to her chest and pulled her borrowed hoodie over her legs.

"Are you cold?"

"A little," she answered as she flipped the hood up over her head.

"You know what would help warm you up?" he asked with a grin.

Her mouth dropped open as she let out an offended squeak. "You better not be thinking something dirty!" she said as she delivered a swift jab to his ribs with her index finger.

"What?" he said, chuckling. "Of course not! I was just gonna do this." He reached out and grabbed the drawstrings under her chin, cinching up the hood so tight that the only thing visible was her nose.

Kagome just sat there glaring at him, which probably didn't have the desired effect, seeing as how he wasn't able to actually see her eyes.

"There," he said, clearly stifling a laugh. "Isn't that better?"

"Are you two even watching the game?" Sango called out over InuYasha's shoulder, drawing the attention of the two in question.

"He's being mean to me!" Kagome spoke, her voice muffled by the hood as her fingers fumbled to untie the tight knot InuYasha had yanked into the cord. She could hear the sound of Sango laughing at her struggle, then she felt InuYasha's much larger hands wrap around her wrists and pull her hands away from the knot before hooking a sharp claw into the cord and severing it, the hood instantly giving way and freeing her face.

Kagome immediately took in a dramatic gasp of air as if she'd been suffocating.

"Cut the act. You could breathe. Your nose was out the whole time," InuYasha said.

Kagome just crossed her arms and let out an annoyed huff as she turned back to the game. "So, who's winning anyway?"

"I thought you were gonna know _more about baseball than Babe Ruth_ ," he said in a high pitched nasally voice that she assumed was supposed to mimic her own.

"Well I'm _sorry_ that preparing my testimony that will put a _murderer_ behind bars interfered with my baseball studies. And you never answered my question."

"Well, Philadelphia is ahead right now, but it's still the first inning and the Mets haven't even had a turn to bat yet."

"Good," Kagome said smartly. "I hope the Phillies win the whole game!"

"You take that back right now!"

"No." She giggled. "In fact, I hope they win the Superbowl!"

"The _Superbowl_ is football, stupid," InuYasha said, the corners of his mouth twitching with restrained amusement.

"Well how am I supposed to know that?"

"How is it possible that you _didn't_ know that?"

Kagome turned back to the game with her bottom lip turned down in a slight pout. "I don't know anything about sports, okay? Sorry I'm not some cool, macho sports fan!"

InuYasha chuckled. "I'll explain it to you as we go along, okay? Who knows? You might turn out to be the coolest, macho-est sports fan of us all."

Kagome covered her mouth as she let out a partially stifled yawn before saying, "You really think so?"

"No," he answered honestly.

Again she threw an elbow into his arm. "Jerk!"

As the game continued on, InuYasha went into great detail describing all the players actions and rules of the game. The late night she'd spent goofing off, then doing some additional last minute preparations for her testimony, began to catch up to her and no matter how she fought it, she felt her eyelids grow heavier and heavier with each passing moment. The rules of baseball proving to be perfect lullaby to lure her into unconsciousness.

OOOOOOOOOO

If it had been anybody else InuYasha would have been put off by her lack of interest in the game. Not to mention the fact the she actually _fell asleep_ right in the middle of the best part of his riveting explanation, but he couldn't seem to find anything to be irritated about today. Not after the little show Kagome had put on earlier. Yeah, he had been pretty sure Kagome's feelings for him were a little more than friendly. Hell, she'd practically told him as much when they'd had lunch together, but to actually _see_ it, to see her all red-faced, angry and sputtering denials...he was practically vibrating with elation. And all this, combined with her glaringly obvious slip in the car that proved that she'd been snooping on him? Not to mention the fucking strip tease she put on in the back seat. What the hell was _that_ , anyway? He could only assume, it was some kind of test that he was proud to say he'd passed.

He was feeling confident. Today was a good day.

Next to nothing could tarnish this glorious day.

And now she was passed out on his shoulder, snuggling up to him for warmth, and yeah, sure, she wasn't conscious of what she was doing, but that was just a minor detail...

And the Mets just won. Yeah, things were definitely looking up.

"Hey," InuYasha said, getting no response from the sleeping girl. "Oi," he tried again, lightly bouncing her head upon his shoulder.

OOOOOOOOOO

" _Oi_." Kagome heard InuYasha's voice penetrate the fog of her drowsy, sleep-addled mind. Vaguely she registered movement and conversation all around her, then a slight nudge, then a more forceful shake. "Kagome." All the muscles in her stiff neck protested as she lifted her head from her rather firm and shaky pillow. "Time to wake up."

"Hmm…?" Kagome rubbed her eyes to clear her vision and looked around to find the surrounding crowds shuffling from their rows and toward the exits. "Sorry, what did I miss?" she asked sleepily.

"Everything. The game's over," InuYasha said flatly.

She again rubbed her eyes in an attempt to wake up, and she could hear them all giggling at her. "S'over?"

"Yep," he said, standing along with Miroku and Sango and extending his hand to Kagome, helping her to her feet. "I must be pretty damn boring if I can put you to sleep even with all this noise."

Kagome covered her mouth and let out an audible yawn. "I'm sorry. Between work, adjusting to the new apartment, and Rin's totally erratic sleep schedule, I guess I've just been a little sleep deprived this week."

"You know you gotta say something, right?" InuYasha said to her as they made they moved slowly with the crowd up the stadium steps.

"Say something?" Kagome questioned.

"To Rin," he elaborated. "She ain't gonna know she's bein' irritating if you don't tell her."

"It's fine. I can get used to it," Kagome said shaking her head.

"So you _want_ her keeping you up all night and…" he paused, looking toward Miroku to make sure he wasn't listening, then lowering his voice and saying, "getting in the _tub_ with you?"

"Well _no_ , but…"

"Then you gotta set some ground rules. Rin's not good at picking up on hints and she'd feel really bad if she knew that she was making you uncomfortable. Wouldn't you feel bad if it were the other way around?"

Kagome nodded. "Yeah, I guess I would."

"See, I'm not so lucky. My roommate," he nodded forward toward Miroku who walked just a few feet ahead of them, then spoke a little louder, " _he_ doesn't give a shit about making me uncomfortable. In fact, he loves it."

Miroku turned back with a grin on his face. "It's true," he stated cheerfully, as if it were something to be proud of. His eyes then lowered to Kagome and InuYasha's hands, which were still clasped from where he'd helped her from her seat. His grin grew exponentially wider as he looked back up at InuYasha.

"Oh!" Kagome said in surprise as she realized what he was looking at, paused and dropped InuYasha's hand. "Sorry...I..."

" _Keh_ ," InuYasha scoffed as he reached down and took her hand back in his. "What are you sorry for?"

Kagome opened her mouth to explain, but then realized there was nothing to explain. What _did_ she have to be sorry for? "Umm…" She looked down to their joined hands, giving a little smile as she tightened her hand around his.

"C'mon, let's go," InuYasha said and the two of them continued on toward the exit hand in hand. "Oh, and by the way," his voice dropped to a whisper, "they totally _did_."

"Did what?" Kagome asked, furrowing her brows.

" _Played dominoes_ ," he said with a smirk.


End file.
